Lunar Convergence
by rampantwolfhound
Summary: Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue have survived the icy lake and have returned home to Green Hills Courtyard to build a life together. Most of the good guys are alive and most of the bad guys are dead, but that doesn't mean that life in chaotic times is easy for those living in the Yuwen family holdings and beyond. XingYue all the way with a bit of Meng Feng/Yuan Song thrown in.
1. Prologue

AN: This story began on the Soompi forum thread for "Princess Agents" after I posted the following vignette before the series ended. I never intended to write more, but then we got such an open ending that I felt compelled to write another story in this world. Then I wrote another, and another, and another, and here we are.

In short, this is an AU where most of the bad guys are dead and most of the good guys have gone back to Green Hills Courtyard and Red Hills Courtyard. Life is mostly happy, but there are still enough challenges to remind everyone that they are living in chaotic times.

It's night. A year or two has passed. Yuwen Yue and Xing'er have somehow overcome all of their trials and are back safe and sound—and married—at Green Hills. They're both walking sedately through the courtyard, bantering about something or other. Their words are heated, but their body language is relaxed as they go through what's become a comforting ritual for them.

They walk up the steps to the master bedchamber, passing through Yue Qi and the other guards without missing a beat of their "discussion". Xing'er closes the doors behind them, and all is quiet—for a few seconds, at least.

Almost instantly, the familiar sounds of bedroom kungfu sparring start coming from behind the closed doors. Occasionally, the parrot will mimic some of the noises or cheer on Yuwen Yue (or insult Xing'er, of course). Fighting noises eventually give way to other sorts of noises as they almost always do these days. The parrot confirms the guards' suspicions, gleefully repeating some of the things that Xing'er and Yuwen Yue say to one another.

At last, silence settles over the Green Hills Courtyard for another night. The guards all smile at each other, but nobody says anything since they've all become used to the antics of their master and mistress. Yue Qi grins in contentment, obviously pleased that the troubles of the past several years seem to have come to an end in a surprisingly satisfying way. He tips back his head and looks up; it's a beautiful, clear night without a cloud in sight.

Suddenly, we see things from his perspective as the camera pans up, settling finally on the moon and stars. Fade to black. Roll credits.


	2. Chapter 1

Yuwen Zhuo looked down at the expense report that he was reading with a puzzled look on his face.

"Zhan Mou, can you explain this?" he asked his faithful guard and adviser.

To his surprise, his right-hand man actually started to chuckle.

"Why are you laughing? This great of an increase of expense for Qing Shan Yuan is no laughing matter. In fact, this is so important to me that I even assigned the Eyes of God to look into why we're suddenly spending so much more money."

"Forgive me, sir," Zhan Mou said, this time managing to contain his mirth. "Our men looked into the matter and discovered that these price increases all centered around a certain area of Qing Shan Yuan and that they began at a specific time."

"Well?" Yuwen Zhuo barked impatiently. "Who's responsible for this irresponsible use of Yuwen wealth?"

"Young Master Yue," Zhan Mou said, his mouth twitching.

"What?! How is that possible? Yue'er has always been a paragon of responsibility and virtue. Are you telling me that he's suddenly wasting money?"

"Not exactly, sir. The extra expenditures have mostly been for the repeated replacement of certain items in his room—especially bed sheets and hangings. As for when this increase started...actually, it started when he married Xing'er."

"Xing'er! I knew she was trouble from the moment I woke up from my coma! I should've sent her to Liang first thing!"

"But she makes Young Master Yue so happy."

"She makes Young Master Yue forget his responsibilities to his family, his country, the Eyes of God, everything! And now she's apparently influencing him to waste money! I'm going to have to have a talk with...never mind. Summon Yue Qi. Maybe he can give an accounting of his master's behavior."

Zhan Mou's mouth twitched again, but he did as he was told. With little delay, Yue Qi strode confidently into the room, clasping his hands in front of himself and giving the appropriate greetings.

"Ah! Yue Qi! This year's expense reports have come in and they report an increase in money spent on replacing furnishings in Young Master Yue's rooms. Can you explain why?"

Yue Qi's face didn't change expression, but Yuwen Zhuo still detected a slight twinkle entering his eyes.

"Master has always been concerned about Xing'er's welfare, so he continues to train her in kungfu. They frequently spar in their bedroom and sometimes the training sessions get a little...out of hand."

What sounded like a snort came from Zhan Mou, but he followed it with a couple of coughs, so Yuwen Zhuo figured that his adviser had just gotten something in his throat.

"Explain."

"Well...Master has taught Xing'er than anything and everything can be a weapon, so they sometimes fight using everyday items."

"Like bed sheets and bed hangings."

Another snort-cough sounded behind him and the twinkle in Yue Qi's eyes increased.

"Exactly."

"Well, I suppose that could explain the need for a new large incense-burner," he mused, looking down at the list of items that Yue'er had replaced over the past year, "but what about the desk?"

Zhan Mou collapsed in a fit of deep, hacking coughs that sounded suspiciously like laughter. Yue Qi's lips twitched, but he otherwise remained as unflappable as ever.

"More training, sir," Yue Qi explained. "Master takes Xing'er's training very, very seriously."

"What could he have been teaching her that would have required the...use...of...his..."

His eyes widened in comprehension as the truth finally dawned on him.

"Zhan Mou! Take me to Yue'er now! I'm going to have a talk with him about upholding the family's honor and displaying the proper amount of decorum befitting the inheritor of the Eyes of God."

Yuwen Zhuo noticed the amused glance that his adviser and Yue Qi shared, but he had more important things on his mind. As Zhan Mou wheeled him towards Yue'er's rooms, he noticed that the guards all had concerned looks on their faces.

"What's going on?" he asked one of the guards who was standing outside of Yue'er's doors.

The guard clasped his hands, bowed his head, and replied, "Master and Xing'er are inside being taken care of by a doctor."

"A doctor? What's wrong? Is it Yue'er's typhoid? Is it..."

His eyes darkened as a possibility flitted through his mind.

"That's it! Open the doors at once and take me inside! They've gone too far this time! Paying for new bedclothes as a result of rough...training...is one thing, but doctor's visits..."

"Trouble is coming! Trouble is coming! Trouble is coming!"

Yue'er's parrot interrupted his tirade and somewhat ruined his entrance, but in typical Yuwen fashion, he soldiered on.

Xing'er was stretched out on the bed, looking blissfully peaceful. Yue'er was seated on the bed, looking exceedingly pleased with himself. The doctor was clearly preparing to leave and didn't seem at all concerned.

His grandson clasped one of Xing'er's hands in his own, and she looked up at him with that mischievously innocent expression that he knew had captivated him years ago. The look of raw adoration on Yue'er's face made Yuwen Zhuo's anger dissipate completely.

"Could someone please tell me what's going on here?" he asked the room at large.

"Pregnant! Pregnant! Master's fault! Master's fault!" the Cangwu bird answered.

Zhan Mou dissolved into booming peals of laughter. Yue Qi smiled beatifically. Yuwen Zhuo placed his head in his hands.

"When I dropped that stick and predicted that doing so meant woe for the Yuwen family, I never imagined that the foreseen trouble would be like this."

Without another word, he signaled for the still-chortling Zhan Mou to wheel him back to peace and solitude with as much dignity as he could muster. After all, he had bills to pay.


	3. Chapter 2

He Xiao looked out over the Red Hills Courtyard from his position at the top of one of its towers, still somewhat unable to believe his good fortune. Although he and his men had been just as determined as their young general to live in and protect Yanbei, the events of the icy lake had brought home to all of them that home was not found in a place or a nationality but with the people you loved. So when he had broached the topic of the future to the dozens of men who were all that remained of what had once been a force of 500, they'd all agreed that home was wherever Chu Da Ren was.

The look on Chu Da Ren's face when he'd told her as much was something that he'd treasure for the rest of his life; there wasn't a single man in their troop who wouldn't lay down his life for her without hesitation, and they'd wanted to make sure that she knew it. Young Master Yue had neatly solved the problem of where they would go by offering them the use of Red Hills Courtyard since, as he'd put it, "Xing'er worked so hard to empty it for me."

When he and his men had learned the bloody history of the place and the role that their general had played in completely eradicating the entire branch of a family, they'd eagerly claimed the place as their own via the right of conquest of their beloved general. Not that they held any illusions about the true owner of Red Hills Courtyard or that they meant any disrespect to their general's husband; he and his men simply reveled in the thought that they were living in a place that had been emptied because Chu Da Ren had cleansed it of evil.

As if his thoughts had summoned her from the morning mist, the small, lithe form of his general hurdled almost soundlessly over the side of the wall that would be the most difficult for anyone from Green Hills to observe. He Xiao smiled as his general gripped the scabbard of Can Hong Jian in one hand while trying to smooth out her feminine robes with the other.

Not that he believed that she'd be in said clothing much longer; he knew full well that Chu Da Ren kept a couple of her old military outfits at Red Hills that were much more suitable for training than her current attire. After spending a couple of hours training with her men, he knew she'd change back into her more lady-like clothing and sneak back into Green Hills like she'd never left.

As she strolled confidently towards what was now the barracks, greetings of "Chu Da Ren!" rang out across the courtyard. She reemerged from the barracks a short time later dressed in the same dark blue robe and left shoulder guard that she'd worn the day that she'd come back to Chang'an for the Xiulis and defeated the then-owner of Red Hills Courtyard on their behalf.

A loud cheer arose from the men as they recognized the outfit, but Chu Da Ren didn't even seem to notice the noise as she drew her sword and launched into what looked like an effortless series of complex drills. The noise level of the Courtyard dropped off almost comically as everyone—He Xiao included—got wrapped up in watching their general weave her magic with the sword that matched her husband's.

All of a sudden, his mind was transported back to Xiuli Mountain on that fateful day when all of the tension between the competing powers of Yanbei had finally come to a head. Just like he knew that he'd never forget the sight of his general riding through the gates of Chang'an like an avenging goddess, he was certain that the image of a soaking-wet Chu Da Ren standing in front of an equally-wet, almost-dead Yuwen Yue at the edge of the icy lake with his sword in her hand and the snow swirling around her would be stamped on his mind for the rest of his life.

He and the Xiulis who had successfully fought through Cheng Yuan's troops had broken the tree line and charged almost mindlessly towards their general, thinking only of shielding her from the barrage of arrows that was sure to come raining down from the ridge. They'd reached her just as the unmistakable form of Yan Xun had raised his hand to signal the release of the hail of arrows that would likely bring their deaths.

Chu Da Ren's face had contorted with grief and rage and she'd...in all honesty, he still didn't understand exactly what she'd done any more than he understood how she'd rescued Yuwen Yue and herself from the depths of the icy lake. She'd told him about the Wind and Cloud Decree and her returned memories, but he found much of it beyond him. All he knew was that she'd somehow released a great force from her body that had succeeded in knocking aside all of the arrows coming their way and sending untold thousands of frozen needles of ice and snow hurtling towards the enemy.

The cheers of the men jerked He Xiao back to the present, and he realized that Chu Da Ren had finished her sword drills. A white figured moved at the edge of his vision and he instinctively reached for his sword, only stilling his hand when he recognized the inscrutable features of his master. He gave the proper greetings, but Young Master Yue only nodded once absentmindedly, his gaze fixed firmly on his wife as she accepted the accolades of her men.

Suddenly fearing that his general was about to get in trouble with her husband, He Xiao said, "She only does non-contact drills that don't endanger herself or...the life growing inside of her."

He Xiao feared that he had overstepped his bounds, especially since talking about pregnancy could be a touchy, taboo subject. Yuwen Yue said nothing, and He Xiao once again focused on Chu Da Ren, who was now instructing some of the men on the finer points of archery. The contentment on her face was visible even from the top of the tower.

"All her life, Xing'er has craved freedom more than anything else," Yuwen Yue said softly, startling He Xiao. "So many of her actions have stemmed from the knowledge that she was trapped, caged, and at the mercy of others. While I know full well the havoc that her impulsiveness and self-confidence can cause, I also know that she cannot be at peace unless she has a sense of true freedom. So I turn a blind eye, let her think she's sneaking away from the tyranny of overprotective house guards and the expectations of how the pregnant Da Fu Ren of the house of Yuwen should behave. I let her come here to spend time with her people in safety, to stay connected to an important part of her identity, and to keep her skills sharp. If I were to try to cage her..."

Yuwen Yue suddenly lapsed into silence as if he'd never spoken, his typically tranquil features marred by obviously bad memories. He Xiao was still shocked that the master had spoken so frankly and so much about such a personal subject, so he took time to collect his wits and gather his courage before speaking.

"In all of Wei, Chu Da Ren was the first person outside of my men to treat me like a human being. She didn't absolve me—or any of us, really—of guilt, but she didn't condemn me, either. She told me to find a purpose, and I did—although I never could've imagined at that time the shape that that purpose would take. At first, we thought she just wanted to use us to help Yan Xun escape from Chang'an, but when she came back for us...After that, we realized that Chu Da Ren hadn't returned for us because of what we could give her but simply because she saw us as hers. That meant-"

A rousing chorus of haos rang out in the courtyard as Chu Da Ren used her small crossbow to shoot six bolts quickly into the center of her target. She grinned at her men, effortlessly binding them to her as easily as she'd done that first time she'd stood up for them—for him—what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Even when Yan Xun executed my brothers because of the lies of Cheng Yuan and his own hatred of us, the last thing they saw before they died was Chu Da Ren kneeling in the mud with them and pleading on their behalf, because they were hers." He Xiao grated out.

He took his eyes off of his general and lifted them instead to face his master.

"At that icy lake on Xiuli Mountain, she claimed us—all of us—as hers. And once she's claimed you as hers, only the worst sort of betrayal can change that. For the first time in her life, she's exactly where she wants to be. We all are."

For an instant, He Xiao saw a flash of...something appear in Yuwen Yue's eyes. But he became distracted by the sight of Chu Da Ren saying her goodbyes and heading back to the barracks to change, and by the time he turned back around, Young Master Yue's mask was firmly back in place.

"Thank you, He Xiao. I'd better get back to Green Hills before Xing'er does so that I'll be right where she expects me to be when she brings me my afternoon tea and greets me with what will surely be the most innocent of smiles."

"Young Master Yue," He Xiao said, clasping his hands in front of himself and inclining his head.

Yuwen Yue disappeared as soundlessly as he'd arrived, missing the amusing sight of Chu Da Ren hopping the Red Hills wall at the place that would give her the best cover under the late morning sun. The clash of swords rang out in the courtyard as his men actually got back into the business of training now that their beloved general was gone.

Not that there was any urgent reason to train now, but they knew full well that life in chaotic times could change faster than the speed of an arrow and require them to put their lives on the line at a moment's notice.

 _Which we would—for her._ He Xiao thought, smiling fiercely into the sunlight. _Because she would do no less for us._


	4. Chapter 3

Yuwen Yue leaned back in his bed, contentedly musing that the current scenery in his room was much more pleasant than ever before on what was usually the worst night of the year for him. While he hated the fatigue and night sweats that his congenital typhoid outbreaks brought on, the sight of his obviously pregnant wife dressed in her current outfit and holding Can Hong Jian with defiant alertness was doing wonders for his health.

Many of the Xiulis were or had been family men, so they were familiar enough with the basics of pregnancy to understand that their beloved Chu Da Ren would soon be unable to wear her old training robes. Not wanting to lose the presence of their general, they'd cobbled together a makeshift set of Xiuli armor that would be able to fit his wife's expanding body for the duration of her pregnancy and had proudly presented it to her one morning when she'd arrived for her "secret" training session.

The account of the sudden, loud bout of crying that their gift had inspired in their young general had been rendered in humorous but touching fashion by He Xiao, who had wanted his general's husband to understand why she was suddenly wearing Xiuli armor. Yuwen Yue was slowly building what he hoped would become a close friendship with the Xiuli commander who was the only man in the world who might come close to loving Xing'er as much as Yuwen Yue himself did.

His attention returned to his scruffy yet adorable wife, who may as well have been made out of ice for all that she was moving. Yuwen Yue knew that she could stand like that all night, fiercely guarding him in his time of weakness just as she had done years ago—and at that icy lake.

So much of that day was a blur to him now, he admitted to himself. He remembered the fighting, the pain, the wonder of realizing that Xing'er finally returned his love and could express her own. Xing'er had filled in some of the gaps for him on the few occasions when he'd been able to get her to talk about that time, and He Xiao had told him what had happened at the end.

The one memory he had of the time after he'd come up from the bottom of the icy lake was an image of Xing'er standing with her back to him in a tattered outfit that was a little like the one she was wearing now. She was holding Po Yue Jian in her hands even though he thought she'd lost it somewhere; maybe she'd pulled it up from the depths with her powers the same way that she'd pulled him up. He couldn't remember the power pulse, the ice needle hail, or the rain of arrows that had been sent back at those who'd fired them, one of which had apparently pierced Yan Xun's heart and killed him instantly.

All he remembered from that point on were a few instances of Xing'er yelling his name and a rush of energy that had felt both hot and cold at the same time. Whatever she'd done had healed his wounds enough for him to survive; he knew that she'd also done something similar for Yue Qi and their other men who had been wounded but not killed in the fight.

Scowling, Yuwen Yue decided to stop thinking about old memories and to start making some new ones instead. After all, he was Yuwen Yue, the inheritor of the Eyes of God, the feared general of Wei, and the only man who was man enough to be able to handle his Xing'er. Surely he could make a successful conquest on this of all nights. He quickly mapped his plan of attack and began his assault.

"Xing'er," he said softly, not surprised that his wife didn't so much as twitch.

Oh, well. It had been worth a try.

"Xing'er," he began again, "I've been doing some thinking."

Nothing.

"After careful consideration, I've concluded that I would probably feel better if I could stay warmer."

Still nothing.

"That's why I think that, for the benefit of my health, you should come over here and sit on my lap."

"What?!" his wife said, whirling around to face him with an incredulous look on her face.

He smirked in triumph—but only on the inside.

"Logically, adding warmth to combat cold makes sense," Yuwen Yue said with a straight face. "I've been having trouble centering myself because I'm so cold, but I think that I'd be able to focus better if you'd sit in my lap to provide me with extra heat."

A slight twinkle entered his wife's eyes, adding to their starry quality and heating him even without her physical presence.

"Since when has me sitting in your lap ever been able to help you to focus better?" Xing'er asked, widening her eyes and giving him that fake-innocent smile that had always driven him crazy.

His eyes darkened, but a lifetime of training helped him to keep control. Besides, so much of his life with Xing'er had been about the dance and the fight that he was used to waiting to get what he wanted.

 _And I will get what I want…_

"This would be contact solely for medical reasons, though," he said, keeping his voice steady. "If you sat on my lap with your back against my chest, I could still center myself but I wouldn't be as cold. Less cold would likely equal better focus, and better focus would equal better health."

"But I know how weak and feeble that this time of year makes you," Xing'er said, voice dripping with false sympathy. "I don't want to add to your burden—especially with all of this extra weight."

"Hmmm, yes. That extra weight is a problem," Yuwen Yue said, looking especially pensive.

"What? It's your fault I'm like this anyway!" Xing'er said loudly, sparks flying in her eyes.

"It's my fault that you're wearing armor and carrying a sword?"

"Yuwen Yue! You!" Xing'er shouted, pointing her finger at Yuwen Yue and stalking towards the bed.

Yuwen Yue was ready to celebrate his victory, but Xing'er suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked away.

"Where are you going, Xing'er?"

"To get you an extra blanket so you won't be cold anymore," she said smugly.

"Maybe I can put it over your head," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. The typhoid must be affecting your hearing."

"Then you'd better bring it quickly, then, shouldn't you?" Yuwen Yue said innocently.

Xing'er glared at him suspiciously but swiftly went and got the blanket anyway. She returned with her arms full of a nice, comfortable blanket and stopped a couple of feet away from the bed, holding the blanket out for Yuwen Yue to take.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well, What?"

"Well, aren't you going to put the blanket around my shoulders? I am weak and feeble, after all," Yuwen Yue said, giving her what he knew to be his most compelling look.

His wife swallowed visibly, and Yuwen Yue knew that victory was almost within his grasp. She unfolded the blanket and got it ready to put around his shoulders, tentatively stepping towards the bed. Xing'er leaned in close and brought first one than the other corner of the blanket around his shoulders, joining them in the middle at his hands.

Before he could do anything, however, she quickly moved out of his range, using that speed and dexterity that he'd helped to teach her to elude him. He almost cursed his luck, but then he saw the look in her eyes and realized that this, too, was part of the dance.

"I've been doing some thinking of my own," Xing'er said, her face as unreadable as his own could be sometimes, although her eyes still twinkled. "For a long time, I've wondered if I could help you to manage your typhoid by using my powers to draw the coldness out of you."

"You could draw the coldness out of me in a variety of other ways, too."

"Maybe, but I think putting my hands on your back would be the most effective," Xing'er said. "When I regained my memories in the icy lake, I also regained at least some memories of what happened with the Jade Snow Dog. Maybe I could return the favor by laying my hands on your back and leaching the cold off of you—or at least finding some way to balance it inside of you."

"Maybe," Yuwen Yue said, ready to spring his trap. "Why don't you give it a try?"

His wife went to climb into bed behind his back, but this time, he moved too quickly for her to escape. He captured her in his arms and wrapped the blanket around both of them, luxuriating in his intoxicating nest of leather, metal, and Xing'er. She was straddling his crossed legs, and their faces were close together.

"If you're going to use your powers to heal me," he said softly, "then maybe we should be heart to heart, face to face. Also, since your tattoo is the representation of your powers, I should be able to get an even better result by touching it, wouldn't you think?"

He proceeded to demonstrate, and his wife's reaction made him realize that he had finally won the day.

 _Or the night._

As Yuwen Yue kissed his wife, an intense icy-hot feeling rushed through him just as he lost the ability to wonder or care about what had caused it.

The next morning, Yuwen Yue woke up alone (which was bad) with the assumption that Xing'er had likely left to bring back some food and drink (which was good). He spent some time pleasurably imagining how delightfully disheveled his wife likely looked in the armor that she'd probably hastily thrown on before going out. She, of course, would be oblivious to the implications of her appearance, and the men outside would all pretend not to notice and would be almost painfully solicitous.

At first, he attributed his feelings of peacefulness and well-being to the obvious, but as he got up and got dressed, he realized that he felt better physically than he'd ever felt after what should've been a rough night dealing with his illness. He felt...balanced. That was the only way he could think of to describe it. The sensation of extreme cold within him was completely gone, and was replaced with…

The amusing sound of his wife being addressed by at least three different names from multiple sources interrupted his reverie. Xing'er had been so many different people in her life that she answered to more names and titles than the average noble. His sensitive hearing could also detect the shuffles and thumps that indicated that there were probably at least five people trying to open the doors for her.

He seated himself at his desk just in time to appear poised and collected before the doors opened to disgorge a horde of servants, house guards, and Xiulis—and his wife, who hadn't been allowed to carry anything other than Can Hong Jian, which was rarely far from her hands these days. The attendants set down their burdens and left; they'd brought enough food and drink to feed a large family.

Xing'er poured and served his tea as she always did; he knew that she insisted on making it herself, remembering the process fondly as one that had brought them together so long ago. He lifted the small cup to his nose and sniffed, already anticipating the moment when he would put his lips to the rim and drink.

A startled cry from Xing'er instantly tore his attention away from his tea and towards his pregnant wife, who had tripped due to her shifting center of balance. She instinctively used Can Hong Jian to keep herself from falling all the way to the floor, but the tea in her other hand went flying right towards Yuwen Yue.

He instinctively raised his hand to stop it and dropped his own cup of tea when the liquid actually stopped in mid-air. Both cups broke on impact, but both splashes of tea hovered in front of Yuwen Yue where his mind had ordered them to stay. He slowly looked up at his wife, whose face currently looked much more like that of the newly-minted silver bell from years ago than that of the more mature, experienced woman he'd married.

"It worked!" she blurted. "How did it actually work?!"

"You—you were actually serious about using your powers to heal me?"

"Of course I was serious! What did you think I was trying to do? Come on...to...You did! I was trying to heal you and you thought I was trying to...You scoundrel!"

"But it worked."

"You would say that. Well, it's not going to work any night soon, I can tell you-"

"No, Xing'er," Yuwen Yue said softly. "I mean it worked. You did heal me."

All she could do was to make that "oh" sound that he loved so much.

Yuwen Yue walked over to her and gently helped her up, leaving the tea to float behind him. Her eyes were even larger than usual, and he could tell that she was afraid of how he was going to react to the reality of having been suddenly altered in such a way. He cupped her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes.

"After a bout of typhoid, I usually wake up alone, drained, and weak. And cold; so cold. Recovery takes days, if not a couple of weeks. But today...today, I feel balanced. That deep, sapping sense of coldness is gone, replaced by a sense of health and well-being. You did that for me, Xing'er. You took away my coldness and left only the man I'm supposed to be. You always do."

Tears streamed down Xing'er's face as she struggled for something to say. He knew that talking about her feelings wasn't his wife's area of expertise; only desperation had been able to loosen his own tongue. Still, her answer managed to surprise him even though it was Xing'er through and through.

"I will never let anything hurt you ever again."

She had Can Hong Jian in a death-grip and her face was hard in spite of the tears that pooled in his hand. He understood it for the vow it was and thus didn't bother to point out how well they knew how quickly life could change and how dangerous it could be.

Instead, he led her back to his desk where their tea was still suspended where he'd left it. Wordlessly, he began somewhat clumsily shaping the tea with his hands, mingling both splashes until they were one. Xing'er caught on and deftly removed the remaining tea from the teapot using her own powers, mixing the warmer tea with the air-chilled tea.

"It might be too cold for your tastes," Xing'er said softly.

"We've had colder."

"We don't have any cups."

"Of course we do," Yuwen Yue said, cupping his hands in front of Xing'er's face.

Her eyes widened and she slowly did the same in front of his face. Instinctively, they moved the lukewarm tea with their powers into their hands, providing each other with the most natural of cups. Yuwen Yue had never had a better cup of tea in his life.

He knew he had to put a smile back on Xing'er's face; stress wasn't good for her, much less their child. Once again, he planned his attack.

"It occurs to me, Xing'er, that we don't know for certain that I'm cured. In fact, if I don't stay warm enough, who knows what could happen?"

"Should I get you another blanket?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips. "That seemed to work pretty well last night."

"I can think of some other things that worked pretty well last night," he said, standing up and holding out his hand.

"So can I," she said, giving him that impishly innocent look again.

This time, he did not show restraint.


	5. Chapter 4

"Chu Da Ren!"

"Xing'er!"

"Da Fu Ren!"

Chu Qiao returned the various greetings with a pleasant yet alert nod, glad to be greeting servants and soldiers alike yet unwilling to be distracted from her mission. The Xiulis may have been able to provide her with a set of armor that could accommodate her growing body, but they couldn't invent a way for her to be able to clandestinely hop a wall while heavily pregnant.

In lieu of sneaking over to Red Hills for training, she'd taken to patrolling Green Hills every morning just to make sure that everything was okay. There was, after all, no such thing as too much security. Besides, how many people knew all of the twisty, secret paths of Green Hills as well as she did?

Her heart panged as she remembered a young, boyish Feng Mian telling her that Yan Xun had instructed him to find the most secret, hidden path in Green Hills because that's where she would be. She was forced to admit that she still had an affinity for the shadows, but what good would she do by patrolling in the sunlight? Gripping Can Hong Jian tighter in her hand, she left the beaten path and walked along the wall, heading towards her favorite wall-jumping spot out of habit.

She knew that patrolling wasn't necessary, even for exercise. After the first day that she'd been unable to scamper over the wall, Yuwen Yue had taken her to their own practicing area the next morning. He'd told her that pregnancy was no excuse for laziness and had then proceeded to take her through every single drill that she'd been "secretly" doing with the Xiulis in the exact same order. Chu Qiao had expected him to be angry with her for sneaking away, but her husband had never given any other indication that he knew or cared about her early-morning excursions.

In fact, he'd been quite attentive during the archery drills. He'd seemed to think that her technique had been lacking and that the solution was to demonstrate the proper methods while holding her close just as he'd done years ago. Chu Qiao didn't think that she'd learned much more about archery, but she'd cheerfully acknowledged to herself that there were worse ways to spend a morning—especially when you were heavily pregnant.

They'd been doing these same drills together at the same time ever since, and she knew that she'd have just enough time to finish her patrol before reporting to the practice field. A younger her would've chafed at what she would've seen as evidence of Yuwen Yue's overbearing interference in her life, but the more mature, experienced Chu Qiao saw her husband's actions as just one more example of the myriad big and small ways he had of taking care of her. The fact that he not only knew about her sneaking off to be with the Xiulis but understood her need for it in the first place warmed the heart that a lot of people would've sworn she didn't have.

Not that she cared about what any of those people thought; they weren't her people, so they weren't her responsibility. Her concept of what constituted "her people" had shifted as radically over the past couple of years as had her definitions of "home" and "family." For the first time in her life, she was living the life that she wanted to live rather than the life that others wanted her to live.

As she neared her spot, her senses jangled a warning. She didn't give any outward sign that anything was wrong in case someone was watching, but she did her best to sharpen her senses as she'd been trained to do. There was something on the wind, something out of place. A smell...something familiar, but she couldn't figure it out. Of course, her sense of smell had been off for months thanks to her pregnancy, so she couldn't trust her nose anyway.

A slight rustling sound on the other side of the wall met her ears, so she waddled behind a tree near the wall with some bushes that had grown up at its base. The foliage provided excellent cover, which was why she always jumped over the wall from this side but always returned via another part of the wall. Sneaking around was no good if you gave someone the opportunity to bushwhack you, after all.

A black-clad figure vaulted over the wall with the same sort of effortless grace that she'd possessed only a few months ago. In spite of the extra weight she was carrying, Chu Qiao had Can Hong Jian unsheathed and at the figure's throat by time it had turned around. To her shock, she found herself with a sword at her own throat and a familiar face staring back at her.

"What's the princess of Yanbei doing trying to sneak into my home?" Chu Qiao asked the figure without removing her blade.

"What's the pregnant Da Fu Ren of Green Hills Courtyard doing hiding behind bushes?" the woman calmly replied while also leaving her sword at Chu Qiao's neck.

Male voices and the sound of footsteps suddenly sounded as Yuwen Yue and Yue Qi appeared on the path, talking about security rotations and the latest news from Chang'an. Both women stood frozen as the men walked on the small path near them, expecting the men to acknowledge their presence. Instead, both men continued on, surely able to see the women but making no attempt to look at them.

The two men disappeared around a bend in the pathway, and their voices faded away. The two women looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and sheathed their swords.

"I'm going to get him for that tonight," Chu Qiao muttered.

"Maybe he's just so used to seeing you holding a sword at someone's throat that he doesn't even pay attention when you do it."

Chu Qiao made a show of glaring at the woman, but her baleful stare was without heat.

"Since my husband is obviously busy, you may as well finish this patrol with me."

"How do you know I'm coming to see your husband?"

"Who else would you be coming to see? Yue Qi? Me?"

"I've actually missed Yue Qi's sense of humor. Now yours, on the other hand..."

"I think you're here to report to my husband about the state of Yanbei and you want as few people as possible to know about your presence here. Not that I can blame you for your caution."

Meng Feng inclined her head in acknowledgment and Chu Qiao started walking along the wall. To say that she and the striking ex-assassin had gotten off on the wrong foot would be an understatement, but they'd somewhat warmed up to each other during that hectic, stressful period after the icy lake but before peace between Yanbei and Wei had been officially established.

"While I logically know that I'd likely be reasonably safe traveling out in the open, old habits die hard. We might be at peace, but there will always be people on both sides who resent me and my husband for the things we've done."

"I know. Under other circumstances, I would've been one of them."

"Your acceptance of him as the ruler of Yanbei in the wake of Yan Xun's death helped a lot, though—especially in Hongchuan and in at least some of the army."

"But not in other quarters."

"No, but that's politics."

Chu Qiao scrunched up her face.

Meng Feng chuckled.

"I get exposed to enough politics just by being the Da Fu Ren of Yuwen Yue."

"I'm sure that none of your previous identities have anything to do with your involvement in politics."

"Actually, most people don't want me to get involved in politics because of who I used to be."

"Chaos does tend to happen."

"It's not like I ever wanted to be any sort of political figure. I just wanted to help my people."

"Which you've managed to do by largely stepping away from politics."

"I can't even resent you for that," Chu Qiao said, shaking her head slightly. "I always expected other people to deal with me the way I was dealing with them, so I never saw their deceit until it was too late. Yuwen Yue, on the other hand-"

"-was born to craft years-long plans that almost always succeed. You're a perfect example of that."

Bad memories flashed through Chu Qiao's mind.

"Not so perfect," she whispered, almost forgetting Meng Feng's presence.

"I know he wouldn't agree."

"So how many assassination attempts on Yuan Song have you stopped so far?"

Meng Feng seemed to accept the change of subject gracefully and gave a feral grin.

"Nowhere near as many as there used to be."

"Have the arrow traps done their job?"

Meng Feng grinned again.

"I'll take that as a yes. You had them cast as dragon heads, right?"

"Yes. They look very fearsome. Yuan Song's shoulders straighten every time he walks between them when they're turned off."

Chu Qiao smiled softly.

"I can imagine that."

"When we wanted to demonstrate the new traps for the servants, he used a scarecrow that we'd made together earlier that day. He gleefully tossed it down the hall to show the servants what would happen if anyone tried to walk down the halls near our rooms during the night. Sometimes people don't know what to make of his sense of humor."

"Well, the first time I met him, I threw him into a pond and then lied about my identity, so I can't really say anything."

"He still talks about that," Meng Feng said, smiling wistfully. "That and the time he convinced you to take a ride with him on Yan Xun's horse."

"That was...looking back, that seems like it was such a simpler time, but it wasn't, really. So much was going on beneath the surface that I didn't even know about. How could I have known? I was just Xing'er, silver bell and bedchamber of Yuwen Yue."

"Were you ever really just Xing'er?"

Chu Qiao stopped walking since they were about to come back to the main part of the Courtyard and she didn't want either of them to be seen yet.

"I've been so many different people that I don't really even think about who I am anymore. I call myself Chu Qiao because that's my given name, but to my husband and the people who were at Green Hills when I was a servant here, I'm Xing'er. To the newer servants, I'm Da Fu Ren. To the Xiulis, I'm Chu Da Ren. There are a few people who would still call me Xiaoliu or A'Chu. I used to care so much about what people called me, but now? None of that matters because I know who I am regardless of what names and titles others use."

"You could've been princess of Yanbei had things gone differently."

Chu Qiao was silent for several moments as different emotions and thoughts warred within her.

"If Wei were to fall tomorrow and Yuwen Yue and I were to lose Green Hills, I have no doubt whatsoever that we would be able to go somewhere else and build a new place together, he and I. Together, there's nothing that we couldn't do. If he became king somewhere, I'm confident that I'd do a solid job of ruling at his side as his queen. There's nowhere I wouldn't follow him, nothing I wouldn't do for him, no measure I wouldn't take to protect him. I'd have complete trust in him to be a just and fair ruler. But Yan Xun..."

She lapsed into silence again, staring off into the middle distance.

"You know, right before we all ended up at that icy lake, he asked me if I'd ever loved him. At that time, I didn't have any idea what love was, and I told him so. But after...and now..."

Chu Qiao laid her hand over her unborn child, looked around Green Hills Courtyard, and grasped Can Hong Jian tightly in her hand.

"Now you know."

"Now I know."

A servant girl stepped onto the path in front of them and greeted her with a quick "Da Fu Ren," bringing Chu Qiao firmly back to the present. She and Meng Feng started walking forward again.

"It's almost time for my daily training session with Yuwen Yue. If you want to do some drills yourself, you're welcome to come."

"Somehow I doubt that Yuwen Yue's teaching methods are the same for you as they would be for me."

"I have to admit that he takes a very...hands-on approach to teaching me the finer points of archery."

"Yuan Song likes to watch my sword drills so that he can 'evaluate and critique' them. Sometimes he even pays attention to what I'm doing with the sword."

"I'm glad he has you to protect him," Chu Qiao said seriously.

Meng Feng's hand tightened on her own black and silver sword and an expression crossed her face that Chu Qiao understood all too well.

"I think I'll take you up on your offer after all," she said. "You can never practice too much."

Memories of wielding Po Yue Jian on the ice in a frantic effort to save Yuwen Yue assailed her.

"No, you can't."

Greetings rang out as Chu Qiao and Meng Feng were both recognized. The house guards surrounded Meng Feng and quickly whisked her away to go train with them.

 _ _That's just as well__ , Chu Qiao thought, smirking as the practice area and Yuwen Yue came into view. __I don't want anything to cause my husband to change his training techniques__ _._


	6. Chapter 5

While Yuwen Yue was waiting for his wife to show up for archery practice, he passed the time by reflecting on how he'd come to be where he was today. The conclusion that he reached was that, while his own skills and personality had helped him to become one of the most influential people in all of Wei, another reason for his success was that the men around him were all total idiots.

For all of his adult life, he'd heard many men complain about how stressful and discordant their home lives were due to having to put up with all of the women that they'd married. Yuwen Yue could not for the life of him figure out why these supposedly intelligent men were shocked that marrying a bunch of women, setting them up in a hierarchy, and then playing favorites would result in tension and angst. No wonder they couldn't even run a functional government.

Of course, he'd also heard these men complain about how distasteful they found their pregnant wives due to weight gain, changing body shape, morning sickness, etc. In fact, most of his peers had boasted about how they would visit their other wives (or even brothels) at night until well after their pregnant wives had delivered. While he understood that the physical closeness that he and Xing'er had maintained during her pregnancy was outside the norm in their society, he found the gleeful yet casual disdain that his peers held for their expecting wives to be immensely off-putting.

As Yuwen Yue watched his Xing'er stride as confidently across the courtyard as it was possible for a heavily pregnant woman to do, he happily concluded that all of his peers were total morons and that he was, indeed, the luckiest of men. The sight of his wife carrying his sword's mate while being dressed in her ever-tightening Xiuli armor that was stretched over their unborn child filled him full of a riot of emotions that he only kept off of his face by virtue of a lifetime of training.

Sometimes he still expected to blink and open his eyes only to find himself at the bottom of that icy lake, having imagined the past couple of years in an instant of longing. Xing'er marrying him, guarding him, healing him, carrying his child, sharing his bed, his home, his life...He knew that as long as he lived, he'd never be interested in any woman other than the magnificent one striding towards him.

Equally satisfying was the knowledge that Xing'er knew it, too. While he and his wife had had their misunderstandings in the past, he was certain that, if nothing else, she was absolutely confident in his love for her and that she'd never have any doubts about the way he felt about her again. She rarely displayed jealousy anymore, content in the knowledge that her husband loved her more than life itself. Yes, jealousy was a thing of the past for them.

 _Wasn't it?_

An image of his wife with her sword at Meng Feng's throat flitted through his mind. Yuwen Yue had to admit that if Xing'er were ever going to be jealous of anyone, it would likely be the beautiful ex-assassin who had, at least for a time, been somewhat close to what Yuwen Yue had originally wanted Xing'er to be: his sharpest blade.

Of course, they both knew that Meng Feng had married Yuan Song and had, somewhat ironically, taken the same position that Yuwen Yue had once accused Xing'er herself of preparing to take: Princess of Yanbei. She seemed happy with her life and had never given any sign that she'd ever wanted anything more from Yuwen Yue than friendship.

 _Of course, she'd quickly figured out that Xing'er had held my heart…_

Yuwen Yue didn't think that his wife was seriously jealous of Meng Feng, but like any good spymaster, he was determined to figure out the answer to what could be considered a matter of national security. When Xing'er misunderstood his intentions, she tended to start wars and cause all sorts of havoc, so preventing misunderstandings from occurring in the first place was of prime importance for the good of the state.

Painful memories of the various times that Xing'er had left him assailed him, mocking his mental pretense of only being concerned with the safety of Wei. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face, because his wife had a look of concern on hers as she walked up to him. Since he didn't want to talk about his own demons, he made the first move.

"Did you run into any trouble on your walk this morning?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Xing'er said, her face scowling but her eyes twinkling.

"Was it anything you couldn't handle?"

"Oh, I know exactly how I'll handle this trouble later."

"Really? Tell me about it."

"Well, as I was walking, two men walked right by me without even acknowledging that I was standing there. Wasn't that rude?"

"Maybe the men didn't want to interrupt your business. Did you look busy at the time?"

"I was...occupied."

"See? They were just being discrete."

"I could've been in big trouble."

"Maybe that's why they walked away so fast."

"What? Why?"

"Because they knew how much trouble you can cause and didn't want any part of it."

"If they knew how much trouble I could cause, I'd think they'd be worried about making me angry."

"Are you angry?"

"Of course. Ignoring the Da Fu Ren and a guest reflects badly on all of Green Hills."

"Nothing says 'hospitality' like holding a sword at a guest's throat."

"Well, she was holding a sword at my own throat at the time."

"I'm sure you did nothing to provoke that response."

"I was just being cautious. I take our security seriously, you know."

Yuwen Yue's eyes softened as he acknowledged the truth of that statement.

"I know there's nothing more important to you."

"It was all just a misunderstanding anyway. She's a friend, and she's here to see my husband."

 _Aha!_

Yuwen Yue took his opening like any good spy would.

"Your husband? Doesn't that make you jealous?"

Xing'er looked at him quizzically.

"Should it make me jealous?"

"I don't know. Is your guest beautiful? Smart? Good-looking when dressed in black? Great with a sword and even better at causing trouble? Devoted to protecting her husband from harm?"

Xing'er mock-glared at him, but to his relief, Yuwen Yue detected nothing but impish good humor in his wife's bearing.

"Actually, she is. Do you think I have anything to worry about?"

Yuwen Yue figured his game had continued long enough. He took a few steps closer to his wife until they were standing face to face and lowered his voice.

"Is she married to your husband? Carrying his child? The woman he's loved since he first met her years ago? The woman he'd risk anything to save?"

"No," Xing'er whispered, her eyes wide.

"Then she has nothing to worry about," Yuwen Yue said softly, gently cupping her chin. "Now or ever."

Tears glistened in Xing'er's eyes; she swiped at them impatiently.

"I know. While I've had good reason to doubt so many things in this world, your love for me is no longer one of them. I worry about so many things..."

 _Well, there's opening number two._

"I know you do," Yuwen Yue said, slowly removing his hand from her chin and placing it on top of the hand Xing'er was using to hold Can Hong Jian. "I can probably count the number of times that I've seen you without this since the icy lake on one hand."

Xing'er lost her battle with her tears and they rolled down her cheeks. She didn't even bother wiping them away this time.

"Most women would fear losing their men to other women, but I..."

"You fear losing me to an enemy," he finished gently. "Which is why you never go anywhere without your sword in your hand. It's why you train all the time, even when you're exhausted from your pregnancy. It's why you patrol every morning. It's why you sneak out to train with the Xiulis."

His wife raised her chin defiantly at that last point, but he continued on, knowing that this discussion was long overdue.

"You don't have to, Xing'er. Whatever comes, we'll face it together, just like we did at the icy lake. We're not at war anymore, so you don't have to live like we're under a constant threat, like an enemy army is going to invade tomorrow. You don't have to be afraid."

"What about you?" Xing'er said loudly, suddenly ripping Can Hong Jian out of Yuwen Yue's grasp and reminding him of a younger version of herself. "Do you think I don't know that you're afraid? That you get that lost look on your face like you have now when you think I'm not looking? That you're just as scared of losing me as I am of losing you?"

"I don't fear losing you to another man."

"I know. If I drink wine with Yue Qi or trade war stories with He Xiao, you're not going to assume that I'm in love with them. If I'm not where you expect me to be one morning, you're not going to assume that I've run off to become one of Xiao Ce's concubines or to take Meng Feng's place as Princess of Yanbei."

The anger suddenly seemed to leave Xing'er's body as quickly as it had come, leaving behind a tired shell. Tentatively, she reached out a hand and placed it on his arm.

"Tell me what you're afraid of," she said softly, looking up at him with that earnest, wide-eyed gaze that he'd never been able to say no to.

He gathered her close, feeling almost like he was back in Xiao Ce's palace with his happiness on the line, right after Xiao Ce had told him that Xing'er and he were supposed to meet but not to be together. Gently, he tucked her head under his chin.

"I'm afraid that one day, someone will ride up to Green Hills, tell you they need your help, and that you'll feel obligated to go with them even if you don't want to. I'm afraid that one day, you'll remember how big the world is, realize how small your world has become, and decide to set out on a new adventure without me. I'm afraid that one day, one of your multiple identities will catch up with you and that you'll once again tell me that you're not Xing'er."

Yuwen Yue felt his wife's tears turn to sobs as the conversation and her pregnancy pushed her over the edge. He held her as she wept for what he figured were all of the things that she'd never allowed herself to cry over before—and maybe some things for which she'd never completely run out of tears.

Xing'er stepped back out of his arms unexpectedly, reaching a hand up and laying it on his cheek the way that she had on the ice a couple of years ago. Her eyes burned with that same intensity that they had when she'd promised that she'd never leave him again.

"There is no person, no place, no thing that could ever make me leave you. For you, I will always be Xing'er no matter what other names I carry. When I told you I'd never let anything hurt you ever again, I meant that I would protect you from myself as well."

They stared into each others' eyes, neither one in any hurry to move. The baby chose that moment to kick, startling his wife and causing Yuwen Yue to lay his hand on her armor-clad stomach in awe.

"Do you really expect to be able to feel the baby through my armor?" Xing'er said, sniffling and obviously trying to regain control of her emotions.

"Of course I do," Yuwen Yue said, donning his mask once again. "It's your child."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that I would expect any child of yours to have a healthy amount of strength and energy."

Xing'er looked at him skeptically. Yuwen Yue decided it was time to move things in a more satisfactory direction.

"Do you want to do a few drills? We still have some time before our midday meal. Unless you'd rather do something else."

"Actually," Xing'er said, deliberately turning her back on the practice area, "I'd rather take a nap."

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea."

"What?!"

"Can't I want to take a nap with my wife?"

"But it's the middle of the day!"

"What of it? I am Yuwen Yue, general of Wei, leader of the Eyes of God, owner of the Green Hills and the Red Hills Courtyards, and possessor of a portion of the Kung Fu of Ice. If I want to take a nap in the middle of the day, who's going to stop me? And you! You are Xing'er, wife of Yuwen Yue and the mother of his child, the general of the Xiuli legion, the wielder of Can Hong Jian, and the inheritor of the Kung Fu of Ice. Who's going to stop you?"

As one, they walked away from the practice field and into their home, both feeling lighter than they had in a long time.


	7. Chapter 6

"It all started with a massage, Your Highness," the spy said, uneasily shuffling from foot to foot.

Emperor Xiang found the spy's body language promising since it seemed to indicate that this week's report was going to live up to his expectations. Given Chu Qiao's innate ability to cause and draw trouble, he'd set up spies outside the Yuwen family holdings in order to keep an eye on her. On rare occasions, a spy would actually make it into Green or Red Hills and would see something useful. Even if nobody made it in that week, hearing about Chu Qiao's antics was often a nice diversion that interrupted the tedium of ruling.

"And where was this massage taking place?" Xiang asked the spy.

"Jille Pavillion, Your Highness."

Xiang's eyes widened in shock, but he managed to contain his surprise otherwise. He knew well that Chu Qiao hated the place and that she and Yuwen Yue had seemed content to leave it and the pool inside to the Xiulis. His spies had standing orders to pursue anything Chu Qiao did that was out of the ordinary, and setting foot inside Jille Pavillion—especially so near the end of her pregnancy—certainly qualified. Even more astonishing was that his spy had actually made it inside Jille Pavillion without being spotted.

"Continue."

"I couldn't see and hear everything that was going on from where I was hidden, but I saw Chu Qiao lead Yuwen Yue to the large pool and...assist him with the removal of his robes. She said something about teaching him to use his powers, but her instruction method seemed to be less than professional."

Xiang smothered a smile.

"Indeed."

"Yes, Your Highness. She told him to get into the pool, and he sat down on a ledge in the water that left only his head and shoulders out of water. Chu Qiao took off her outer robes and knelt behind him somehow and started massaging his shoulders in order to...increase his focus, she said. He said something I couldn't understand about trying to kill him; she laughed somewhat suggestively and said that there would be time for that later."

This report was the most entertaining one Xiang had heard since that one spy had managed to observe Yuwen Yue's way of teaching Chu Qiao the finer points of archery.

"I'm assuming that Yuwen Yue managed to survive the night."

"As far as I know, Your Highness. Of course, after what I saw, I can't imagine much of anything being a threat to either Yuwen Yue or Chu Qiao."

"What exactly did you see?"

"Um, well, Your Highness, I can't really explain it. She stood up from behind him, stepped to the edge of the pool, made a motion with her hands, and the water...it just...formed steps all the way to the bottom of the pool. She slowly walked down these steps until she was at the bottom, then the stairway just collapsed all around her as if it had never been there."

Xiang knew about the Wind and Cloud Decree, of course; he knew that Chu Qiao had used it to save Yuwen Yue and her Xiulis at the icy lake and to put an end to those who had shot arrows at her and her people. Still, to hear his subordinate talk about seeing such a display of power was unsettling.

"Your Highness?"

"Please continue."

"The water was right at her shoulders. She spread out her arms so that they were hovering over the surface of the water and then said something to Yuwen Yue that made him get this look on his face."

"What type of look?"

"I guess you could call it...predatory."

"I see."

"He then...Your Highness, he raised his own hands and...it's like he made the water move without touching it."

"Yuwen Yue?" Xiang asked, unable to hide the surprise from his tone or his face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I saw it with my own two eyes. He was definitely moving the water on his own."

Xiang rocked back in shock. He'd known that Chu Qiao possessed the Wind and Cloud Decree, but to know that she'd obviously given some of that power to Yuwen Yue…

"Are you okay, Your Highness? Should I-"

"I'm fine. Tell me what happened next."

"He made the water ripple, and he slowly...took off Chu Qiao's robes from underwater using nothing but water."

Xiang shook his head.

 _As usual, Chu Qiao learned from Yuwen Yue's teaching methods all too well._

"And then?"

"And then she...congratulated him on his success."

"I'll bet she did. Please move on to the next detail that's relevant to your report."

"Thank you, Your Highness. After...everything, she moved to the opposite end of the pool and began to form a...I don't really know how to describe it. I've heard tales of cloud cones that can form on land and destroy all in their paths; this was kind of like that, but with water. It was like a whirlpool but above the surface."

"I've seen the damage that those can cause. Did this one do any harm?"

"No, Your Highness. Chu Qiao seemed to have the cone completely under control. She kept making it larger, but it never seemed to threaten anything. The larger it got, though, the lower the water level became. The lower the water level became, the more of Chu Qiao you began to see. Yuwen Yue noticed this pattern and began to make his own cone."

"I'll bet he did."

"It took him longer than Chu Qiao to get his cone going, but not too much longer. There's an economy of motion to Chu Qiao's technique that suggests years of training, but with Yuwen Yue...The raw power on display was intimidating. He quickly had a large cone of his own going, and the water level began to recede farther down Chu Qiao's body. She let the water reach a certain point, but then she started shrinking the size of her own cone so that the water level stayed the same."

"Surely Yuwen Yue rose to the challenge."

"He did. He continued making his cone bigger until it was the size of both cones and then began building it up even higher, draining the water level in the pool at a satisfactory rate."

"Did he succeed?"

"Not exactly. Chu Qiao...did something with her hands again, and the water just...It's like she pulled the water Yuwen Yue was drawing from out from under his cone so that the whole thing crashed down on top of him."

Xiang smothered a laugh with a cough and held up an impatient hand to stave off any questions about his well-being.

"What did he do next?"

"He somehow made the water solid so that he could spring off of it to catch Chu Qiao. She didn't seem to try too hard to elude him, though, and he was very gentle with her when he caught her. He pulled her as close as he could given the circumstances; she wrapped her arms around her neck, pulled herself up, and whispered something in his ear. They stared intently at each other for a moment before the water started roiling around them. A large cone quickly spun up in the pool, enveloping both of them completely."

"And they didn't drown? How long did they stay in the middle of the cone?"

The spy blushed and looked down at his feet.

"I see."

"Chu Qiao especially seemed to find the buoyancy pleasing."

Only military discipline kept Xiang from losing his composure.

"Some pregnant women find bathing in pools to be relaxing and soothing."

"She seemed quite relaxed after the cone suddenly collapsed back down into the pool. So did Yuwen Yue, to be honest."

"Well, I'm sure they were both exhausted after expending all of that energy to make the cone."

"Exactly, Your Highness. I'm sure that's it."

"Do you have anything else important to report?"

"Not really, Your Highness. After the big cone, they both relaxed in the water and recovered their strength. Yuwen Yue climbed out, used his powers to dry himself off, and put on his robes. Chu Qiao was content to...continue resting while watching Yuwen Yue getting dressed."

"I'm sure she was."

"As far as I could tell from where I was, Yuwen Yue picked up a spare set of robes that Chu Qiao had brought with her, went back to the pool, pushed away the water Chu Qiao was floating in, and dressed her in the corner of the pool. He picked her up in his arms and then used the water like a rising platform to gently push them up and out. I caught some of what Chu Qiao was saying about rooms that she'd prepared for the evening and night, but given the tone of her voice, I elected to retreat with the information I had."

"I'll bet you did. Thank you for your report; you've done well. You may leave first."

"Thank you, Your Highness," the spy said, bowing, clasping his hands, and walking backwards a couple of steps before turning around and leaving with almost insulting quickness.

Xiang waited for the spy's footsteps to fade away entirely before looking at his most trusted eunuch adviser and letting loose with a torrent of booming laughter.

His adviser looked at him in startlement but eventually joined in the laughter itself. Xiang started clapping his hands slowly as if Chu Qiao herself were present. His mind took him back in time several years ago to when she had first been made the archery coach of the Xiulis and she'd beaten up Xiao Ce and had expected to be scolded for it.

"Good girl!" he chortled. "Well done! Well done!"

"Pay that man double what he normally makes," he said to his eunuch after regaining control of himself. "That was the most entertaining report I've ever heard in my life."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Xiang sighed in satisfaction.

"When Chu Qiao sets out to get vengeance, she never does it half-way."

"Your Highness?"

Xiang chuckled.

"This whole thing was a setup from beginning to end. Our spy didn't make it in; they let him make it in. What are the odds that nobody saw him sneaking into a compound crawling with Xiulis who were no doubt aware of Chu Qiao's presence? This has Chu Qiao's name written all over it, but Yuwen Yue knew what she was doing."

"How do you know, Your Highness?"

"In that entire report, did our spy ever mention seeing more of Chu Qiao's body than her shoulders and maybe the top of her chest?"

"No, Your Highness."

"He knew."

The eunuch inclined his head in deference.

"Chu Qiao knows better than most how important the element of surprise can be. However, she also knows how effective a good deterrent can be. She knows that she'll be giving birth soon and will be unable to watch over Yuwen Yue for awhile. She knows that this particular spy has one of the biggest mouths in the business and only manages to stay employed—and alive—by virtue of being able to sneak into almost anywhere. She knows that he'll report to me and will then spread all sorts of wild and outlandish tales among the servants, who will spread them far and wide. Everyone will soon know that both Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue are even more extraordinarily powerful than they used to be and are not to be messed with."

"What does that have to do with vengeance, Your Highness? That sounds more like protectiveness to me."

"Does Chu Qiao ever try to get vengeance without there being some element of protectiveness involved?"

The eunuch inclined his head once again.

"First, she gets vengeance on an irritating spy who's been annoying her for a couple of years by forcing him to give the most awkward briefing of his life. Then she gets vengeance on Yuwen Xi and Yuwen Huai by forcing them to watch her "training" Yuwen Yue in their home from the afterlife. She also gets vengeance on her husband, who's likely been tormenting her with similarly distracting teaching methods for years. And then, of course, she gets vengeance on me."

"You, Your Highness?"

"Me. There's nothing Chu Qiao values more than freedom, and I'm the one who basically put her under house arrest. While she's never strayed far from Green Hills or Red Hills, I know that she chafes at the idea that she isn't truly free. She knows I haven't trusted her. She knows I've thought she'd leave Yuwen Yue someday. She knows I've figured that her rebellious nature would get the better of her one day. So she sets up one of my spies to witness evidence that she's given an obviously hefty portion of her powers to Yuwen Yue, that she's very much in love with him, and that, even this close to delivery, she's still capable of wielding immense power. And, of course, she also forces me to try to keep control over myself during the most awkward report in the history of the kingdom. Well done, Chu Da Ren. Very well done."

"Would you ever consider giving her her freedom, Your Highness?"

"Of course not! That woman causes chaos wherever she goes. If she were to walk through the gates of Chang'an without Yuwen Yue at her side, they'd fall in!"

"Apologies, Your Highness."

Xiang waved him off and then smiled.

"I might, however, decide to relax some of her travel restrictions as a gift in honor of the birth of her firstborn."

"That would be most generous, Your Highness."

"I know it would. Do you know something else?"

"Your Highness?"

"I'm glad that Chu Qiao's not really my enemy."

Both men shuddered at the thought.

"Now tell me what's next on the schedule today."

His adviser started listing off appointments and responsibilities and he found himself mentally sighing in resignation. For all that he couldn't imagine marrying a woman like Chu Qiao, he still found himself envying his friend for the happiness he'd found. Not that he believed that there was anyone in the world more deserving of happiness than Yuwen Yue, and yet…

Xiang gave himself a swift mental kick and admitted the truth.

 _Only Yuwen Yue could handle standing in the middle of the relationship equivalent of that whirling water cone while managing to hold on to a woman like Chu Qiao._


	8. Chapter 7

AN: This story came about after I decided to Google search for Chinese birthing traditions. The idea of Xing'er actually being able to handle many of the customs had me cackling because I just knew that she'd completely disregard most of these traditions and that some people would be bothered by that. I tried to figure out whether Yuwen Yue, as a man of his time, would insist on her abiding by these traditions, but I decided to come down on the side of established characterization rather than cultural customs. I allowed Yuwen Yue himself to defend his position (and his Xing'er, of course). I should probably add a disclaimer that I'm an American who's largely ignorant of such traditions, and that I am, of course, interpreting them through a 21st century lens.

Yuwen Yue loved his grandfather and did the best that he could to maintain a good relationship with him. He'd tried his hardest to make Green Hills a place where his grandfather felt at home, but the truth was that his marriage to Xing'er had changed things to a degree that his grandfather simply wasn't comfortable with. Yuwen Yue knew that his grandfather didn't like Xing'er and was always waiting for her to betray him just as the maid he'd fallen in love with all those years ago had done to him.

So his grandfather kept to the shadows, preferring to spend his time either in his own rooms or the secret spy lair of the Eyes of God. He knew that Xing'er had no real love for his grandfather, but he recognized that his normally outspoken wife always did her best to be polite to his grandfather even when he was somewhat rude to her. Yuwen Yue had, of course, properly thanked his wife the first time she'd managed to hold her tongue around his grandfather.

One of the things that bothered his grandfather most about Xing'er was her almost complete disregard for tradition and rules. Yuwen Yue knew that his wife assigned little value to superstitions and customs that didn't make any sense to her. In fact, she'd discarded most of the pregnancy tips that the various physicians and midwives had given her since most of them involved sitting around, being peaceful and tranquil, and not doing much of anything.

The final straw had come yesterday when one of the midwives had told Xing'er that her rebellious ways would transfer to her child if she didn't take up more relaxing habits so close to delivery. Her reply had been both loud and descriptive, and his parrot had gleefully repeated some of her choicest phrases at random intervals for the rest of the day. Of course, his parrot had also enthusiastically repeated some of what she'd had to say to a doctor who had suggested that she sleep separately from her husband during her entire pregnancy. To Yuwen Yue's pleasure and relief, said doctor's advice had not been heeded.

His mouth twitched slightly as he walked towards the secret door that would take him to where his grandfather was waiting for him. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation, and he put his mask firmly in place before he triggered the secret mechanism.

Years of training from his grandfather allowed him to keep all of his thoughts behind his mask as he walked into the chamber and greeted his grandfather with his typical affectionate courtesy. As they exchanged pleasantries, Yuwen Yue tried to hold onto the irrational idea that he might be able to soon escape the chamber without getting into yet another argument about Xing'er with his grandfather.

"So has your Cangwu parrot stopped quoting Xing'er yet?"

Yuwen Yue mentally sighed and let that sliver of hope go.

"He's been a perfect gentleman all day."

"Does that mean that Xing'er has actually been a lady for once?"

"Xing'er is doing well. Thank you for asking."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"What would you have me say that I haven't said to you already?"

"I told you that she would make an unsuitable mother for your children."

"She's the only woman I've ever considered making the mother of my children."

"I heard Yan Xun felt the same way about her."

"Did you also hear about the way Yan Xun died?"

"How do you know she didn't do anything with Yan Xun beforehand?"

"Do I really have to give you the talk?"

"I just insulted your woman and you're not even angry? Are you sure you're even a man?"

"My wife's current condition should answer your second question, and as for the first question, once again, what would you have me say that I haven't said to you already?"

"I would have you tell me why you're not insisting that Xing'er observe the same traditions and customs that our women have been observing forever."

"Why would I do that?"

"For the good of your unborn child!"

"What evidence do you have that the things that Xinger's been doing during her pregnancy have negatively affected our child?"

"It's common knowledge that if women don't do certain things during pregnancy—or if they do certain things—that the child will suffer later in life."

"So what did your mother do to make Yuwen Xi turn out the way that he did?"

His grandfather reeled back as if slapped.

"How dare you!"

"Well, you have been insulting my wife during this entire conversation and you did question whether or not I was a man. I'm just being a real man and asking a tough question. If these techniques are so effective, then why did so many of the people that we know turn out to be so bad? Did their mothers not read enough poetry while pregnant? Did they eat the wrong food? Drink the wrong drink? Get too angry at someone?"

"Our traditions are the bedrock of our society!"

"And look at where they've gotten us. No, I have no intention whatsoever of forcing Xing'er to observe traditions that cut so strongly against the grain of who she is. I won't make my wife suffer on the off-chance that something she does during pregnancy might be able to have a greater effect on our child's life than our actual guidance of the child later."

"Those traditions are in place to help the wife as much as the child. Do you really have so little regard for Xing'er's health?"

"Nothing matters more to me than Xing'er's well-being, Grandfather. Nothing. As long as I've known her, I've done my best to equip her to survive in this world. When I was at the front, I spent some time in small villages and learned more about life than could be found here at Green Hills. I heard women giving birth, heard stories from others, and heard the sobs of men who'd lost their wives in childbirth. When I learned that Xing'er was pregnant, I vowed that I'd do everything I could to help her stay strong and happy. So I kept training her, kept loving her, kept freeing her. I don't regret a bit of it."

"So you know better than generations of conventional wisdom?"

"The results speak for themselves, do they not? I've never seen Xing'er look more radiant or beautiful. She's clearly healthy, strong, and as ready to bring a new life into the world as she can be. For all that childbirth is often presented as a beautiful and natural process, I know the truth: My wife is going into battle, and I stand by my decision to do my best to equip her for war."

His grandfather snorted in derision.

"Next you'll be saying something ridiculous like that you'll actually be present when she gives birth."

"Of course I will," Yuwen Yue said without missing a beat.

"What?!"

Yuwen Yue calmly reflected that he'd never seen his grandfather turn that particular shade of purple before.

"Xing'er has no female relatives who are able to be here for her at this time. They're all either dead or incapable of being here, so I'm all she has. She wants me to be there for her; I want to be there for her. Nothing else matters to me. Nothing else ever has."

"But it's just not done."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean 'Why not?'"

"I mean...why not? Why is it never done? I can understand the general desire for women to have female companionship over male companionship at such a time, but my wife doesn't have that option and has already told me that she wants me to be there. I can understand that some men might be scared of or disgusted by the birthing process, but I've already seen far worse and would just be anxious the whole time anyway if I were somewhere else. Some men might not want to face the possibility of losing their wives, but I...we've already faced death, she and I, and I can do no less for her than she's willing to do for me."

His grandfather sighed in resignation.

"So I take it she won't be sitting the month?"

Yuwen Yue's lips twitched again.

"I'll be lucky if I can get her to sit a week—or even a day."

"Unruly, rebellious, selfish, reckless-"

"Resilient, capable, beautiful, strong."

His grandfather sat sullenly silent.

"Xing'er values freedom and the ability to protect the ones she loves most of all; I won't ask her to give up either. If she wants to rest in isolation for a month—or even a year—after giving birth, then she can. But given how quickly she's recovered from far worse traumas, I wouldn't hold your breath. And no, I won't insist that she stay isolated from our child, either. Denying our love for each other did far more harm than good; I don't see the value of denying our love for our child."

"Speaking of denying your love for one another..." his grandfather said smugly.

"Yes, I know," Yuwen Yue said calmly. "That's one thing the doctors were emphatic about, and Xing'er and I agree that it makes sense."

"If you'd have married another woman-"

"Then I'd still be spending my nights at Xing'er's side helping her through this time."

"Will you really be able to stand it? Many men could not."

Yuwen Yue was silent for a couple of moments.

"I waited for her to return my love for so long with little hope that she ever would; what's a matter of weeks in comparison? To have Xing'er in my bed, even just to hold, is not something I could ever regret. Besides, she's the one who's carried our child inside of her for 9 months and will soon bring it into the world through a long and painful process. The least I can do is to handle a few weeks of self-denial."

His grandfather shook his head but ultimately allowed a small smile to briefly shape his lips.

"I can't say that I understand you, Yue'er, but I do honestly wish you and Xing'er good fortune."

"Thank you, grandfather," Yuwen Yue said, clasping his hands and bowing. "I will leave first."

He walked back through the rotating door and was instantly greeted with the sound of his wife complaining about something or other. Not that he could blame her; were he within a week of giving birth, he'd probably be complaining, too. He also knew that she was upset that her beloved Xiuli armor no longer fit and that she had to wear the maternity robes he'd had made for her.

She heard him approaching and turned around, stopping mid-rant and smiling at him. He smiled back and led her over to their bed, getting into it first and leaning back in invitation. Without a word, she got into the bed and settled between his legs, leaning back against him gratefully and closing her eyes. He wound his arms around her middle, rested his head on top of hers, and closed his own eyes, reflecting that he couldn't imagine how life could possibly get any better.


	9. Chapter 8

Du Ping'an pretended to work hard at his task, unable to avoid feeling the same levels of anxiety and anticipation as the men around him were radiating. For the past several days, there had been a distinct edginess that had wired everyone in the Red Hills Courtyard and had caused almost everyone to be extra-vigilant of any activity at the front entrance. He almost felt like he was back at Hong Chuan on the eve of battle, except that this energy was more positive and hopeful.

As the birth of Chu Da Ren's firstborn loomed nearer, incidents of Xiulis and servants alike suddenly finding work to do near the gate skyrocketed. Ping'an himself was busily "trimming" shrubberies that were already immaculate since numerous men before him had been pruning them with excessive care for the last several days. When word finally came that Chu Da Ren's labor had begun, nobody wanted to miss out on the news.

In fact, Ping'an figured that he'd never seen the Courtyard this neat and tidy. Not that the Xiulis didn't proudly take care of their home, but anticipation of fresh news on Chu Da Ren's well-being was high. So the hedges were perfectly shaped, the pathways were spotless, and even the buildings themselves were immaculate.

Ping'an made one last cut with his shears and then gave up on his pretense, knowing that it was almost time for him to do his favorite task that he was fortunate enough to be able to do several times a day. Given his age and his relationship with Chu Da Ren, he served as an informal liaison between Red Hills and Green Hills. All of the Yue guards knew him and were glad to give him whatever new information there was about Chu Da Ren's health and well-being.

He received more greetings than normal as he headed through the entrance of Red Hills and set off on the relatively short trip to Green Hills. Ping'an knew that someone would soon take up his post at the hedge that he'd just vacated in order to anxiously await his return. While there was always the chance that someone would come to Red Hills with news of their beloved general, he secretly hoped that he would be the one who would be able to bring word of Chu Da Ren's labor back to the Xiulis.

Whistling cheerfully, he reflected on his good fortune as he briskly walked along the pathway. His mother had, ironically enough, survived the battle of Hong Chuan only to succumb to her illness a few weeks later. Ping'an had been left with nowhere to go and had realized that he'd felt a kinship with the loyal fighting force that had as one declared their home to be wherever Chu Da Ren was. He'd begged to come with them; they'd agreed; and he'd never looked back.

Many of the Xiulis seemed to view him as a little brother and had done their best to take care of him over the past couple of years. In return, he worked hard at whatever task needed doing and never for a moment forgot that he easily could've been one of the many war orphans of Yanbei had Chu Da Ren not stopped her carriage that time to raise him up just because she could.

Some of the Xiulis had even begun to train Ping'an in combat in their free time, laughing and saying that every man should know how to defend himself in a fight. While he knew he'd probably never be a soldier, he still felt reasonably confident that he could hold his own if he ever got into trouble. Whatever he ended up doing when he reached manhood, he knew that he would be serving Chu Da Ren in some capacity.

The gates of Green Hills came into view, and Du Ping'an could tell that there seemed to be more activity inside than usual. He walked quickly up to the gates and was greeted with a smile by the Yue guards stationed there. Before he could even exchange any pleasantries, one of the guards decided to put him out of his misery.

"Yue Qi says that Xing'er has entered the early stages of labor and that she should give birth sometime late this evening or during the night."

Thanking the guard, Ping'an spun around and took off for Red Hills at a sprint. He had his orders from He Xiao, after all, and he didn't want to waste a single moment.

* * *

While He Xiao would've otherwise been tempted to tease his men about the way that they were all milling around in the courtyard instead of being useful, the commander of the Xiulis was forced to admit that he was just as guilty. True, he'd claimed that he was inspecting the work that everyone else was doing, but that was just a pretense for doing what everyone else was doing: anxiously waiting for fresh news about Chu Da Ren.

Having grown up in a city surrounded by many people, He Xiao knew about the harsh realities of childbirth and the dangers that it could bring. While he had the utmost faith that his beloved general would be able to win this battle just as she had all the rest, he still couldn't help but worry about all that could go wrong during the process.

A small smile shaped his lips as he remembered a conversation that he'd had with Young Master Yue only a few days ago. To his immense surprise and delight, Yuwen Yue had gone out of his way to give He Xiao updates about Chu Da Ren's pregnancy. He felt that the young master might be coming to consider him a friend—or at least a kindred spirit in regards to the importance of Chu Da Ren's protection.

Young Master Yue had matter-of-factly stated that he was going to be there for Chu Da Ren when she gave birth, and He Xiao had goggled at him with what he was sure had not been his best "Commander of the Xiuli Troop" expression. He'd never heard of a husband being present for the birth of his child, but once he'd gotten over the shock, he'd felt a sense of rightness settle over him.

"I'm glad," was all he'd said before inclining his head at Young Master Yue in understanding.

 _Over the past nine months, he's trained her for wa_ _r,_ He Xiao thought, nodding to himself in approval. _It's only logical that he would want to be there for her when the battle commences. He always has..._

This was a sentiment he not only shared but was prepared to act on once he got word that Chu Da Ren was in labor. He knew that his plan was somewhat risky, but he figured that he and his men could do what they needed to do and get back into Red Hills before the wrong people found out.

As if He Xiao had summoned him by the power of his thoughts, the unmistakable figure of Du Ping'an came barreling up to the entrance of Red Hills Courtyard. The grin on his face was evident even from this far away.

"It's begun!" the boy shouted. "Chu Da Ren is in labor and is expected to give birth sometime this evening or tonight!"

He Xiao figured that the last time he'd seen his men move that fast had been when they were rushing to Chu Da Ren's aid at the icy lake. Those who had been "working" outside rushed up all at once, and those who hadn't been able to come up with an excuse to be outdoors poured out of the buildings of Red Hills like they were on fire. He waited for all of his troops to gather before putting his plan into action.

"Xiuli troops!" He Xiao said loudly to the men gathered around him.

They yelled back.

"Today, our general is going into one of the most ancient battles in all the world: that to bring forth a new life. Chu Da Ren is strong, proud, and unafraid, and I have no doubt that she'll be able to win this battle just like she's won all the rest. Surely she will emerge from this trial victorious!"

Another yell rang out from the troops.

"In all the times that she's led us into battle, she's never lost. In all of the times that we've been able to fight at her side, we've done so with all of our hearts. We've never willingly stood by and let her go into battle without us, and we're not going to start now!"

A louder yell filled the entire courtyard.

He Xiao walked over to a small table on which he'd set a small incense stand and produced a stick of incense.

"That's why I'm giving you all a single stick of incense time to put on all of your armor and to gather back in the courtyard. Chu Da Ren promised us that she would bring us home, and she did. We told her then that we were coming back with her—and we always will. There won't be room for all of us inside of Green Hills, but we can all still stand outside and support Chu Da Ren in this battle the only way that we can. So, Xiulis, put on all of your battle gear, rejoin all of your brothers, and then-"

He Xiao placed the incense in the holder and lit it.

"WE MARCH!"

The roar of the Xiulis shook the earth and caused a fierce grin to form on He Xiao's face as he set off for his quarters to don his full set of armor. One way or another, he knew that this was going to be a day and night to remember.


	10. Chapter 9

"…and then, if that parrot can be trusted, she told the doctor that insulting her personality and her child was not an effective method of increasing her levels of peace and tranquility."

"I'm assuming that you're...paraphrasing the parrot once again."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Emperor Xiang smiled as he once again enjoyed his favorite briefing of the week. A pregnant Chu Qiao had turned out to be every bit as entertaining as he'd expected her to be, and that parrot had been a gold mine of information. He was already anticipating hearing the upcoming reports about Chu Qiao's first months of motherhood.

"The bird also repeatedly quoted phrases like, 'You're a quack!' and 'That's not what my husband said last night!'"

"Thank you. Do you have anything else to-"

"Report!" a soldier cried out, running up to Xiang's throne and kneeling.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Your Highness! One of our spies around Red Hills just sent word that the Xiulis are preparing to march!"

Xiang's good humor disappeared in an instant.

"How many?"

"All of them, Your Highness."

"All of..."

A thought began to form in his mind, and a smile slowly began to form on his face. The timing was right, and there was only one thing—one person—who could make the Xiulis take such a risk. He stood up from his throne and was instantly surrounded by attendants.

"Assemble a hundred troops and prepare to move out as soon as possible," he said to the reporting soldier, who goggled at him.

"Yes, Your Highness!" he said, making the proper farewells before walking away as quickly as he could.

"What are you planning, Your Highness?" his chief eunuch adviser asked him.

"If this is what I think it is, then we have nothing to worry about—although it never hurts to be careful."

"And what do you think this is, Your Highness?"

"I think it's time for me to have some fun for a change. In fact, Yuan Song told me in his last letter that I need to make sure that I take some time to do some of the things I want to do regardless of matters of court. I do believe I shall take his advice."

He left a bewildered eunuch behind as he suddenly strode quickly away from the throne and headed for his rooms. The pitter-patter of attendant feet brought a larger smile to his face.

"Prepare my armor!" he said to one of his servants.

"At once, Your Highness!"

 _ _If the Xiulis are going to look their best, then so am I. No ragtag band of ex-rebels is going to upstage the emperor of Wei.__

Xiang fidgeted impatiently as his attendants began putting on his armor, hoping that he and his men could reach Green Hills before it was too late.

* * *

Xiao Ce had stayed alive as long as he had by utilizing all of the information sources available to him. Over the years, he'd built up a comprehensive spy network that rivaled his sister's in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. His spies provided him with more information that most people could dream of and were one of the main reasons why he was still the crown prince of Liang.

And yet, these spies could not tell Xiao Ce everything that he wanted to know. For knowledge of the future, he'd found no better—albeit more exasperating—source of news than the stars. True, learning how to read them was a difficult process that could, if you were not careful, lead to disaster based on half-truths and full misunderstandings. The stars had saved his life on occasion, but they had also caused him to be wrong a time or two.

Considering that humans were at least as fallible as his own ability to glean knowledge from the heavens, Xiao Ce was content to take his chances with celestial bodies as much as earthly ones. He was also man enough to admit when he'd been wrong and to be happy when things turned out right against the odds.

Xiao Ce had spent a great deal of time reading the stars last night, wanting to be sure that he'd made no mistakes in his deciphering of their mysteries. He'd already been wrong once about these people and he didn't want to be so again. But no, the heavens had been quite emphatic that all was—at least for now—well with both Qiao Qiao and her husband.

The young prince smiled wistfully and took a sip of his wine as he reminisced while ensconced in the luxury of his courtyard.

When he'd told Yuwen Yue that he and Qiao Qiao had been fated to meet but not to be together, he hadn't been lying—at least as far as he'd been able to interpret the will of the heavens. While the stars had shown him the intertwined natures of their fates—and their souls—they had shown him nothing but a jumbled end of pain, hardship, and death. Naturally, he'd wanted to spare both of them such an end and had thus given his advice to the pathetically devoted young master.

Now that he knew what had happened at the icy lake, he couldn't help but smile at the evident truth that Qiao Qiao had changed her fate and Yuwen Yue's when she'd regained her memories and her powers. Death and loss had turned to life and love, and Xiao Ce derived a bittersweet satisfaction in keeping track of Qiao Qiao using multiple methods.

As far as he knew, none of the spies that he'd sent to keep watch on the Yuwen family holdings had been discovered. They were good enough to evade those pathetic Wei spies and to...dispose of any of his dear, sweet sister's people they encountered. Not that she dared to do too much at this point; Xiao Ce knew that she was still emotionally reeling from the knowledge that the penpal she'd fallen for had actually been her worst enemy.

The spy who had imparted that juicy morsel of intel had been rewarded handsomely for her trouble and had become one of his most reliable assets. He'd have to remember to instruct her to write up a detailed account of the upcoming happenings at Green Hills and send it by pigeon so that his sister could "accidentally" intercept it.

A malicious grin spread across Xiao Ce's face as he imagined his sister learning about the details of the happy event that would soon be occurring at Green Hills. He knew that, unlike himself, she had no knowledge of the stars or of his deepest secrets.

 _That's why she'll always be a step or two behind me—and I intend to keep it that way._

Not that Xiao Ce was naive enough to underestimate his sister; he knew that she'd always be a threat as long as she was alive.

 _Which will likely be an unfortunately long time—unless fate intervenes, of course._

He'd watched the stars for any such information for years, of course, and would continue to do so. But he also knew that life was unpredictable and that it could surprise you regardless of what the heavens seemed to say. Maybe someday he'd get the better of his sister—or maybe his sister would get the better of him.

 _But if she does get the better of me and I can escape with my life, I know exactly where I'll try to go._

Xiao Ce silently raised his wine in a toast to Qiao Qiao, already looking forward to what he would read in the stars that night.

* * *

Yuan Song's shoulders automatically straightened as he walked between the currently-disarmed dragon traps that lined the corridor to what he knew would be a lonely set of rooms without his wife to share them with him. The ruler of Yanbei knew that the ex-assassin he'd married would've teased him about his reaction to the dragons just as she always did when she was there with him.

He armed the traps as soon as he reached the door, smiling wistfully as he remembered the earnest, firm admonitions to do so that had come from his wife before she'd left. While he knew that Meng Feng could take care of herself, he still missed her terribly whenever she was gone and worried about her well-being. Give the circumstances, however, he could hardly have told her not to do what she'd felt compelled to do.

The truth was, both of them owed Yuwen Yue more than they could ever repay. Were it not for the generous actions and nature of the young master of Green Hills Courtyard, both of them would've been long dead and would never even have met each other. Yuwen Yue had seen the potential in both of them and had played an integral role in helping them to become the rulers of Yanbei.

When Meng Feng had started getting restless a week or so ago after they had received Yuwen Yue's latest letter, Yuan Song hadn't been surprised. While he knew that his wife was in love with and faithful to him completely, he also knew that she felt a bond of kinship with her former master that was compelling her to be nearby just in case someone tried to make trouble. Their old friend would, after all, be completely focused on Chu Qiao and might not be able to recognize trouble until it was right on his doorstep.

Yuan Song shook his head and chuckled. He and his wife knew full well that Yuwen Yue could handle anything that came his way—especially if that something was trying to hurt Chu Qiao. But since he was so familiar with his wife's protectiveness, he went along with her rationalizing and let her go with his blessing. Both he and his wife knew how quickly life could change and how a single person could mean the difference between defeat and victory.

A bevy of attendants came in through the servants' entrance and brought in what seemed like enough food to feed an army, and Yuan Song missed his wife's presence more than ever. She would've helped him to eat as much of the food as possible and then to laugh at the absurdity of it all after the servants had left them alone. These times when Meng Feng was gone brought home to him just how vital she'd become to his life—and how bereft he felt when she wasn't with him.

 _To think that Yuwen Yue survived years apart from Chu Qiao with no_ _real_ _hope that she'd ever return his love or return to him._

Yuan Song shook his head in amazement and took a sip of wine before starting his meal.

He figured that his wife had likely reached Green Hills a few days ago and had found some suitably shadowy place to hide in while waiting for Chu Qiao to give birth. While he had complete faith in his wife's abilities, he also had an unshakable anxiety that plagued him whenever she wasn't by his side. Yuan Song understood that this was completely irrational since Meng Feng was much more likely to protect him in a fight than the other way around, but since when was love ever rational anyway?

Chu Qiao's image flashed through his mind. He'd been completely honest with his wife about the feelings that he used to have for Chu Qiao, but he'd assured her that all of those emotions belonged completely to the past. Yuan Song had never been the best at expressing his feelings, but he thought he'd done a good enough job of conveying to his wife that he thought that she was a much better match for him in a variety of ways.

In the end, she'd just smiled that soft, mysterious smile of hers and used her actions to show him that she'd believed him. Chu Qiao's fierceness, confidence, and brashness had stirred him, yet Meng Feng's reliable, steady strength had brought him through some troubling times. Both women had helped to shape his destiny, so it only seemed right that his wife would go to Green Hills to lend her unique brand of support at a time like this.

As the evening grew later, Yuan Song found himself already anticipating the reunion with his wife and the news that she would bring.

 _Of course_ _,_ he mused as he finished eating _,_ _the news might just have to wait for later_ _._


	11. Chapter 10

_One thing that spies never told those they were recruiting was just how incredibly boring being a spy could be sometimes,_ Meng Feng thought as she surveyed her surroundings once again.

Being the consummate professional that she was, the ex-assassin had managed to find a spot that offered her both sufficient camouflage from curious eyes and a relatively clear view of the Green Hills Courtyard. She'd left Yanbei with plenty of time to spare, so she'd been able to settle down in the woods around the Yuwen family property and get a feel for the rhythm of the place.

The Wei spies were easy to avoid, and she was, of course, familiar enough with the ways of the Eyes of God to stay out of their way. Over the course of the past several days, she'd come to notice two distinct small groups of spies whose presence made her uneasy. She had her suspicions about their identities, but she didn't know which group was which and she couldn't be sure if her guesses were right anyway.

Even if she'd correctly guessed who the spies were representing, she didn't know what their interests were. Were they after information or blood? Were they, like her, trying to protect Green Hills and its inhabitants or did they want to start trouble? As usual, the answer was to just keep watching and waiting.

The increased activity around Green Hills told her that her wait was almost over and that Chu Qiao would likely be giving birth soon. She'd seen the messenger boy that Chu Qiao had brought back with her from Yanbei sprinting back to Red Hills like the entire Wei army was at his heels, so she figured that he'd been given good news and had gone back to tell it to Chu Qiao's soldiers.

The roar that had arisen from Red Hills shortly thereafter was amusing, and Meng Feng had not been surprised when the entire troop had shown up to support their general in person. They'd been standing there in full battle regalia for a couple of incense sticks and had maintained a strict, stern silence after loudly shouting "We're coming back with you!" several times to announce their presence to their beloved Chu Da Ren.

The raspy rustle that sounded behind her was so faint that she almost thought she'd imagined it. Fortunately for her, her reaction to "almost" was to instantly draw her sword and whirl around to face whatever was coming at her. A face-covered figure dressed in the same basic type of dark clothing as she was slashed its own sword at her throat and attacked her with a nearly silent fury.

Both of them wove webs of steel around themselves with their blades while trying to gain the upper hand over the other. Meng Feng was more than up to the challenge and spared a grim grin for anyone who might've mockingly said that nearly two years of palace living had made her soft. How she wished that some of those servants and officials could see her now, locked in a dance of death with a spy as competent as herself.

A rare opening presented itself, and she slashed inward at her opponent. The spy jumped backwards just in time to avoid a fatal strike, but Meng Feng's blade still pierced her opponent's robe and caused a rectangular seal to fall out. Her eyes widened as her brain registered the affiliation of her would-be assassin and she lashed out with her boot in an attempt to stop the fight. Her foot connected with her opponent's midsection as she'd hoped, and the figure went flying back into a tree.

"Stop!" she whispered, quickly sheathing her sword and holding her hands up. "I'm not your enemy."

A pair of piercing eyes glared into her own, but the figure reluctantly nodded its head. She inclined her own towards the seal lying on the ground.

"I know who your master is," she said, watching the spy's eyes widen in alarm. "If he is who I think he is, then we have a common goal. I'm going to remove two seals of my own so that you'll know who I am."

The figure nodded its understanding again, and Meng Feng slowly reached into her own robes and pulled out the two seals that she treasured above all others. The first one was her husband's, which declared its holder to be a personal representative of the ruler of Yanbei. The second was Yuwen Yue's, which identified her as a member of his personal guard.

The dark-clad assassin relaxed, sighing in either relief or resignation—or maybe a bit of both. Before it could say anything, however, the soft tread of footsteps alerted them to the approach of someone else. Meng Feng dove into her hiding place and pulled her former opponent inside with her, hoping that she'd judged her almost-killer right.

Both concealed figures stiffened in shock as another black-clothed figure appeared only a short distance from where they were hiding. The feature of the new-comer were obviously recognizable to both Meng Feng and the spy standing next to her.

Meng Feng wasn't a coward, but she also wasn't a fool. She knew that few could match her in combat, but that the person standing a stone's throw away from her was one of them. Her face firmed in resolve as she vowed that she'd fulfill her obligation to her husband and to her former master by making sure that this person didn't even get to set foot inside Green Hills Courtyard.

* * *

Mo'er was no fool. Everyone thought that he was just a little kid, but he knew that he hadn't been a child since he'd lost his entire family, had listened to the entire family of the girl who'd helped him be killed, and then ridden on the back of his now-father as he and his now-mother had avenged their deaths.

Since that time, he'd been a calm, well-behaved boy who had taken his studies seriously and who had vowed to grow up strong so that he could fight all the bad people. He knew that he was too small to be a threat now, but all the bad guys had better watch out once Mo'er grew up. Then he'd do his best to make sure that no one else had to go through what he'd gone through.

Just because he wasn't a man yet, however, didn't mean that he didn't understand what was happening in his mom and dad's rooms this evening. He was supposed to be "doing his lessons," but since nobody else seemed to be doing what they were supposed to be doing, he didn't see any reason why he should be doing what he was supposed to be doing, either.

Mo'er was no fool, so he knew that his mom was going to have a baby because his dad had put it there and that his dad would help her to take care of it even though Grandfather wouldn't approve. Grandpa was grumpy, but Mo'er wasn't fooled. He'd seen Grandpa just a few minutes ago, lurking in the shadows where he thought no one could see him with Zhan Mou standing, as always, close behind.

But Mo'er had seen because Mo'er always saw. He'd learned the importance of looking closely at things and remembering what they looked like. He'd learned that not everything was what it seemed to be. His dad had taught him this lesson early and it had stuck. If he was going to grow up to fight the bad guys, he knew he had to be smarter than they were if he was going to succeed.

When people weren't trying to talk around the details of his mom's pregnancy, they were telling Mo'er things like that he shouldn't be jealous of his new brother or sister and that he was going to have new responsibilities as a big brother. He already knew all these things and had no intention of being jealous of someone who was someday going to have things that didn't belong to Mo'er anyway.

He also didn't worry about his mom and dad not loving him once the new baby was born. If there was one thing he knew about his adoptive parents, it was that they had plenty of love in them to go around. While his parents were busy, they always made time for him each day no matter what was going on. They had put a lot of time into teaching things he knew he'd need later in life when he became a man. He knew they'd help him to become a good man who would be able to help a lot of good people.

They gave him nice things like good food to eat, sturdy clothes to wear, and nice toys to play with. His favorite toys were the ones that were more like miniature weapons; both of his parents had found that funny. Most importantly of all, they gave him love—and respect, which was, to him anyway, at least as important.

Not too long ago, his mom had sat him down and told him that she and Dad had decided that he was old enough to know the truth about his parents' killers. She'd told him that they had been killed because his birth dad and some other men had lied to their future killers and had tried to run away from them. Then she'd said that the men who had ordered his parents to be killed were two men she'd killed herself when she'd fought to save Dad and their men at the icy lake.

He knew all about the icy lake; He Xiao, Yue Qi, and some others had told him what he was sure were shortened versions of what had happened when his mom had gone to save his dad from a trap set by the same men who'd killed his family and Xing Xing's family. His parents didn't really like to talk about the icy lake, so he knew better than to ask them about it.

After telling him the truth about his parents' killers, Mom had looked him in the eye and said that she'd told him this because she wanted him to be free of the desire to seek vengeance on their behalf. She knew that she'd once told him that she'd never blame him for anything he did to get even with his parents' killers, but since they were dead, he didn't have to worry about killing them. She'd told him that he alone was responsible for his own actions and that he should never hurt the innocent just to be able to kill the guilty.

In a way, his mom had given him the one thing that he knew she'd long wanted more than anything else: freedom. Mo'er knew that he could stand before his ancestors with pride since their deaths had been avenged, but he also knew that he'd only be able hold his head up high before them if he lived his life as a good man. He didn't know exactly what he would do when he grew up, but he did know that he wanted to fight bad guys. Not because he wanted to get revenge on anyone, but simply because it was the right thing to do.

He was, he acknowledged, like his parents in that way even though his mom hadn't given birth to him. Their protective natures could get them into trouble, but they could also make them do things like give hungry children food to eat even when they didn't have much to spare themselves at the time.

A loud yell sounded from his parents' rooms, and he winced. He knew that not much could hurt either of his parents, so if Mom was yelling, then things were serious. Still, he knew his mom would be able to handle anything that was happening because she was strong—and because, of course, his dad was with her. Together, they could do anything.

As the sun went down, Mo'er kept silent watch over the Courtyard. He did so from the shadows, however, because he always had.

 _Even when I first met my parents before they were my parents,_ he mused, _I did so while standing in the shadows._

He knew that was a trait that would serve him well in whatever he decided to do in the future.


	12. Chapter 11

AN: As I've said before, I'm largely ignorant of Chinese culture, so I've had to rely on Google to educate me. Naturally, I wanted to know about ancient Chinese birthing practices, so I poked around a bit. I finally settled on this source as what I would loosely use to shape these next few chapters. The relevant part of this book begins with the section marker of "a) Getting on the Ground and Sitting on Straw" on what's labeled as page 234 of the book but is page 19 of the PDF and goes through book page 241 (PDF page 26). The concept of the birth tent is described a little earlier in the book, which notes that it didn't have to be set up outside and should be placed "in an empty space of auspicious virtue," which I think I've done. Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue will, of course, put their own spin on things and make their own rules as they've long done.

Xiao Yu welcomed the setting of the sun since she knew that darkness would soon follow. While she could flourish in the light as well as the dark, she'd always done her best work in the shadows. Sunset meant that her wait was almost over and that her plan would soon be ready to be sprung into action. Her people were ready; she was ready.

The people inside of Green Hills, however, would surely not be ready for the pain and vengeance that she would be visiting on them this night. And she did owe Yuwen Yue and his wife—just thinking that word in connection with Chu Qiao almost sent her into a rage—pain and vengeance.

Yuwen Yue had hurt her tremendously when she'd bared her heart to him and he'd turned cold on her. The princess could understand why he'd done it in one sense; her realization that the man she'd been writing to all of these years was actually her hated enemy had so shaken her that she'd actually allowed herself to become wounded in combat over it. Once she'd gotten over the shock, though, she'd resolved to confess her identity and her true feelings, assuming that Yuwen Yue would eventually come to accept her presence in his life as a friend—and maybe more.

But he hadn't, and not just because of her identity. Oh, no; Xiao Yu knew the truth: Yuwen Yue hadn't been able to give her his heart because he'd already given his heart to _that woman_. Luo He's daughter, who was every bit as much his sworn enemy as she was. But he hadn't cared. Oh, sure, he'd flinched a bit and had looked somewhat torn, but considering that he'd married _that woman_ and fathered a child with her _,_ he'd obviously gotten over it.

So she owed Chu Qiao, too, for taking away her one chance of true happiness with the man whose heart she'd known like no other even while his identity had remained a mystery to her. Besides, she knew there was no love lost between herself and Chu Qiao given their tempestuous past together. Yuwen Yue might be convinced to spare her life if she got caught tonight, but Chu Qiao...no, she would kill first and wouldn't even bother to ask questions later.

Xiao Yu crouched in her own hiding place, having retreated there after she'd failed to learn the identity of the mysterious combatants who had disappeared before she reached where they'd been fighting. She suspected that, for whatever reason, her brother had people hiding in these woods, but she didn't know who they would've been fighting that they couldn't easily dispatch. The princess mentally shrugged since she knew there was nothing she could do about the situation anyway. Even if there was a stranger in these woods, she knew that whoever it was was no match for her in terms of combat ability.

Besides, once she executed her plan, it's not like she was going to wait around for anyone to find her anyway. She'd get in, get what she'd come for, and get out. In fact, if all went according to plan, she'd be able to carry out her vengeance without a single drop of blood being spilled. Not that she'd lament the opportunity to eliminate a few of these people she hated so much, but she'd much rather achieve her objective and cause them to suffer. She'd always felt that failure was much worse than death anyway.

No, she wanted them all to know that someone had stolen their precious newborn baby right out from under their noses and that they wouldn't have any idea who was responsible until years later, if ever. While Xiao Yu definitely wanted personal revenge, she was also smart enough to realize that having the offspring of Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao could mean someday being able to control the heir of the Wind and Cloud Decree. She still had Xia Chong imprisoned, so she figured that since the one-time Afterlife Camp assassin possessed a portion of the Wind and Cloud Decree herself, she might be able to unlock the powers in the child at some point.

If not, then the princess would still have the years of satisfaction gained by raising the child of two people she hated more than most others. She would raise the child to despise its birth parents by telling it all sorts of lies about abandonment and betrayal. They wouldn't be lies, though, at least not entirely. Yuwen Yue had abandoned and betrayed her, after all, and Chu Qiao...well, who hadn't that woman betrayed at one point or another? She didn't deserve to be a mother anyway.

As the sun finally slipped behind the horizon, Xiao Yu smiled in triumph. She' d wait for the baby to be born, for people to go to bed and sleep deeply due to exhaustion, and then...then she'd jump over the wall, sneak into the nursery area (which her spy had already scouted for her), take the baby, and leave the way she'd come. She had a few bowmen in the woods in case things went south and she needed a bit of cover fire, but the rest of her people were waiting near the road disguised as peasants who were traveling south. One of them was even a new mother herself so nursing wouldn't be a problem.

 _So help me, I'll have Yuwen Yue's child one way or another…_

* * *

Yue Qi had fought in more battles than he could count. After all, he was the head of the Yue guards and his master's right hand, so he had often been the person closest to his master when a fight started. He'd fought against spies, against assassins, and against soldiers. He'd fought one-on-one, in a small group, and as part of a larger force. He'd come close to death several times and had usually escaped only by virtue of his master's martial prowess.

 _And_ _Xing'er_ _'s powers,_ he admitted to himself as he stood guard outside the master's quarters, remembering that time.

Not that he could remember much of anything beyond that desperate battle against Cheng Yuan and his forces. He remembered the fight, and the pain, and the wild, feral look in Xing'er's eyes when she'd stabbed the rival general in the chest with his own dagger. He thought he'd mumbled something about saving the master with what he'd assumed to be his dying breath, but he couldn't be sure.

 _Did it really matter? It's not like she was going to go anywhere else but the icy lake anyway._

Yue Qi shook off the memories of the past as he watched the chaos in the courtyard area all around him. Many of the men before him had fought in at least as many battles as him, if not more. They'd all faced death numerous times and had survived under improbable circumstances together. So how was it that these grown men who could fearlessly wade into a vastly superior force with no heed for their personal safety fall apart in the face of a single, small woman giving birth?

Not that he could deny the importance of that small woman in all of their lives; he'd willingly bled for her a time or two himself. His primary purpose in life was to take care of the master, and if something happened to Xing'er...Well, he knew firsthand how his master would react from when they'd thought that Xing'er had died at Yuwen Yue's own hand years ago.

 _And that was before he married her and fathered a child with her. I don't even want to imagine…_

Yue Qi shifted uneasily and barely resisted the temptation to look back at the door.

 _It's only been about five minutes. But what might've happened in that five minutes? I'm responsible for the master's welfare, so I should be the first to know if anything's-_

He whirled around, slowly opened the door, and stuck his head inside again. Everything was just as it had been five minutes ago. A birth tent had been erected in the middle of his master's large bedroom where he knew that Xing'er and the master had engaged in kungfu sparring since the beginning of their acquaintance. He knew that Xing'er, the master, and the midwife were within the tent carrying out the mysteries involved with bringing a new life into the world.

Another couple of midwives hovered around outside the tent in case they were needed; one of these came over to talk to him. He opened his mouth to speak.

"No, there's been no change. Yes, she's still doing well. Yes, I still think that she'll be delivering her child within the next couple of hours. No, the master doesn't need anything. No, there's nothing you can do. Yes, you should wait longer than five minutes before looking in here again. Do you have any more questions?"

"No," Yue Qi said meekly. "Thank you."

He quickly retreated and shut the door, shaking his head at the anxious way everyone else was milling around. After all, he himself was a man of action, so in these circumstances, he acted. What was wrong with that? Nothing. Nothing at all.

A rumbling sound interrupted his musings and caused him to pale as he realized what it was. He ran down the steps, dropped to the ground, put his ear to the earth, and paled. Leaping to his feet, he barked orders at the loafing guards, who immediately formed up in front of the master's chambers.

Yue Qi himself ran for the gate of Green Hills Courtyard so that he could find out why what sounded like 60-75 foot soldiers and 25 or so horsemen were thundering towards them in the almost-darkness. Was it an enemy come to take vengeance on his master at a vulnerable hour? Was it a new threat that was coincidentally emerging at the worst possible time? Was it someone coming to wish them good fortune?

He shook his head at the last one, dismissing it as improbable. No one went riding around with a hundred troops just to casually drop by a friend's home. His face firmed and he gripped his sword in his hand. If any harm came to his master or his master's wife this night, it would be because he'd already rattled out his dying breath.

Yue Qi's eyes widened as he reached the front of Green Hills, his eyes barely able to take in the defensive stance of the Xiulis in the last rays of the dying light. The horsemen rode closer, and Yue Qi got his first look at who was in the lead. He paled and ran through the gates, hoping that he could somehow prevent imminent disaster.


	13. Chapter 12

When Emperor Xiang had started developing a taste for the absurd that was similar to the sense of humor that his brother had, nobody had been more surprised than himself. Maybe this development was a reaction to the two or so years of peacetime that Wei had experienced in the wake of their agreement with Yanbei. Maybe the letters that he had been exchanging with his younger brother had been improving his mood. Or maybe the cause was the simple fact that being an emperor when there was nothing much going on was kind of...boring, honestly.

Oh, sure, there was always petty bickering and intrigue going on in court, and there was always some saber-rattling going on at some border or other. Natural disasters, famines, matters of national security...all of these were realities of life, but Xiang often found dealing with them to be dull and tedious.

 _Maybe that's why I'm currently riding at the head of a hundred foot soldiers and cavalry just to attend the birth of a child of two supreme troublemakers._

Not that the ride itself wasn't pleasurable; the nighttime air was nice and the sky was clear, providing him with a lovely view of the moon and stars. The general mood of their force was relaxed since Xiang had told his men that the troops at their destination were likely not going to be hostile.

 _Not if they know what's good for them, anyway._

Xiang knew full well that the Xiulis hadn't always known what was good for them, but he figured that at this point, the only reason they'd fight him is if they thought he meant to harm Chu Qiao or her family. He didn't plan on playing his game for too long, but he figured that getting a bit of petty vengeance on a group of men that had caused him so much trouble over the years would be a most enjoyable part of the night's entertainment.

 _That and the look on Yuwen Yue's face…_

As they rode up the final approach to the Green Hills Courtyard, the emperor found himself smiling in anticipation. He knew that he cut a fine figure in his armor and he couldn't wait for the people of Green and Red Hills to recognize him. The dim figures of the Xiulis were just barely visible in the light of the torches they carried, and he couldn't help but smile as he recognized that they were in a classic defensive formation.

 _This is going to make the best letter to Yuan Song I've ever written._

The expression on the Xiuli commander's face when he finally realized who was at the head of the approaching force was priceless. Xiang was curious as to what the seasoned commander would do, and he briefly wondered if the Xiulis would do something stupid if they came to the wrong conclusion. The emperor needn't have worried, however, as the Xiuli commander wasted little time in dropping to his knees and bowing before him. As one, the Xiulis gave the proper greeting and remained with their knees and heads to the ground.

Xiang gracefully dismounted his horse and slowly walked up to where the commander—He Xiao, he thought his name was—was still bowing. The sound of running footsteps reached his ears, and he saw what he assumed to be Yuwen Yue's right-hand man pelting towards him.

 _He probably thinks he has to stop a fight from breaking out. That would, indeed, be bad luck for the new baby. Or it might be bad luck for all of us if Chu Qiao hears her men in trouble, runs out here, and starts whacking at us all while in the middle of labor. Yuwen Yue would, of course, be right behind her, and who knows what trouble that would bring?_

The captain of the Yue guards gave the proper greetings and dropped to his knees, bowing before him. Xiang eyed him for a minute before returning his attention to the Xiuli commander.

"Commander...He Xiao, isn't it?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the man said, raising his head a little so he could reply but still keeping it lowered to the ground.

"Surely the fact that the Xiulis are under strict orders not to mobilize without royal permission except in an emergency has not escaped your memory."

"No, Your Highness."

"Well, then, would you care to explain what you're doing here in full armor?"

"Of course, Your Highness. In fact, there was an emergency."

"Oh? And why wasn't I notified?"

"I assumed that you had been notified since you've obviously come here."

Xiang mentally chuckled at the commander's cheek but still kept a stern expression on his face.

"Yes, I was notified. I was told that all of the Xiulis were marching in full battle gear from Red Hills without royal permission. Explain yourself at once."

"Of course, Your Highness. The emergency was that Chu Da Ren was going into battle and we didn't want her to go without us."

"Really?" Xiang made a show of looking around him to the right and to the left. "I don't see any battle. Surely you don't mean labor. After all, women have been giving birth for generations upon generations. Why would she need the help of a bunch of soldiers to do it?"

He Xiao looked up and his eyes flashed.

"Your Highness, we know that Chu Da Ren doesn't need us, but we also know that she has chosen us as hers. We simply wanted her to know that we were here for her during this trial. As soon as she has delivered her baby and we know she's safe and well, we'll go back to Red Hills Courtyard and celebrate in peace. You are, of course, welcome to join us if it pleases Your Highness."

 _This is even more enjoyable than my weekly Chu Qiao briefings._

"What a generous offer."

Xiang held his stern face for a few seconds before relaxing it into a reserved smile.

"I might take you up on that."

The commander looked up at him in astonishment.

"Rise, all of you. Yue Qi, take me to your master. Since everything seems to be in order here, I may as well congratulate Yuwen Yue on his impending good fortune."

Everyone stood to their feet with amusing swiftness, obviously thankful that the crisis had passed.

"Your Highness, I will gladly take you to see my master. Or if it would please Your Highness, I can go tell him you're here."

"Where is he that he doesn't already know who's at his gates?"

Yue Qi flushed and got a somewhat sheepish look on his face.

"He's with Xing'er, Your Highness."

"What? In the birthing room?"

"Yes, Your Highness. He takes Xing'er's safety very personally."

"So I remember," Xiang said, scowling. "But I know that there's no point in taking him to task for it since he's unlikely to change his ways at this point."

Yue Qi prudently kept silent.

Xiang made a motion with his hand and the men with him began to walk single-file, taking up perimeter positions around Green Hills.

"If you Xiulis are determined to watch the front of Green Hills, then my men can guard the sides."

"Thank you, Your Highness," He Xiao said, clasping his sword in front of himself and bowing his head. All of his men followed suit.

The emperor inclined his head at Yue Qi, who instantly began leading the way into Green Hills. All of the Yue guards goggled and gaped at him as he walked into their midst, dropping to their knees and bowing low. Yue Qi led him to a sitting area not too far from what he knew to be Yuwen Yue's quarters. A yell came from them almost on cue.

 _I really need to get out more often,_ Xiang thought as he smiled in contentment at Yue Qi's retreating form.

* * *

The Cangwu parrot knew that everyone inside of Green Hills thought him to be a simple, silly creature. All they saw was a bright-colored ball of fluff that repeated naughty phrases and insulted people. While this perception made the parrot somewhat indignant, it also helped him to hide his true genius from the world. After all, people had been underestimating Xing'er for years and that had clearly given her an advantage.

In fact, the bird knew himself to be an excellent judge of character. After all, he'd known to crap on Yan Xun long before he'd really caused any trouble. He'd also pegged Xing'er as a fool, and she'd ended up leaving the master and causing him endless trouble and heartache. He'd labeled Jin Zhu as evil, but that hadn't been hard to discern so he didn't bother to take credit for it.

One thing that the parrot would take credit for was knowing when to shut up. Just like he'd known that he'd needed to be quiet the last time that his master had been sick with typhoid (the master had rewarded him with extra treats for keeping quiet during that night), he knew that now was not the time to make noise. While he knew he couldn't do much to help his master's mate, he knew that he could at least give them the gift of silence.

His master had never given him the gift of a mate, but he knew that if he ever had one, he'd treat her just like his master treated Xing'er. He'd heard some of the other men talk about how strange it was for the young master to want to be in the birthing area with Xing'er, but the parrot felt that a male _not_ wanting to be there for his mate at such a time was abnormal. He knew that if he ever had a mate and she was sitting on their eggs, he'd bring her good food to eat, chase any predators away, and help to keep her company when he could.

The parrot could tell that the master was nervous about multiple things. He knew that beyond the general concern he felt for his mate, he was also worried about whoever was at the gates of their home. The bird knew that Po Yue Jian was resting in its sheath and ready for action should the master need it. If anyone tried to harm Xing'er, he knew that his master would defend her with his last breath.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and the parrot watched the master straighten up to his full height and put on his most intimidating face. The door opened, and Yue Qi stuck his head inside. What he told the master made him relax his posture, so the parrot did, too.

After Yue Qi had left, the master went back inside the birthing tent. He heard Xing'er ask him who was outside, to which his master replied, "Oh, don't worry, Xing'er. It's just the emperor."

"What?!"

"Apparently, he came to congratulate me on the birth of my firstborn. Or maybe he came to listen to you suffer. The odds are even, really."

Xing'er muttered something the parrot couldn't hear as another contraction hit and distorted her voice.

"I'll be sure to tell him that when I greet him."

"Shouldn't you have left already? It's bad manners to keep the emperor waiting."

"I'm busy with something much more important than making small talk with the emperor."

"What? Sitting around waiting for your wife to give birth? I've been alternating between squatting and sitting for hours and nothing has changed yet. I doubt I'm going to have this baby in the time it takes you to go outside and exchange a few words with our ruler."

"Are you absolutely sure, Xing'er?"

"Have you forgotten the time you made me stand on one leg on top of a post for hours? If I could survive that, I can survive this. Go do your duty as Yuwen Yue, young master of Green Hills Courtyard, leader of the Eyes of God, and loyal subject and one-time comrade-in-arms of the emperor of Wei."

"You forgot the two titles that mean more to me than any of those," he said, giving Xing'er what sounded suspiciously to the parrot like a kiss. "Husband of Xing'er and the father of her children."

"But we only have one child of our own."

"So far."

"Yuwen Yue! You will not talk about us having another child while I'm still giving birth to-"

She was cut off quite suddenly in what the parrot figured was the master's favorite way of silencing his mate given how frequently he used it. He exited the birthing tent and strode towards the door. The parrot flew off of his perch and hovered in front of the master, who nodded his head in understanding.

With a flapping of wings, the parrot flew through the gap in the birthing tent and ignored the protests of the midwives in attendance.

"Xing'er! Xing'er! Xing'er!" he cried.

His master's mate smiled tiredly up at him and told the attendants to leave him be. He'd known she'd understand; she usually understood things pretty well these days. The parrot landed on the floor near Xing'er's right hand and allowed her to slowly stroke him. She seemed to be soothed by his presence, so he said her name softly a few more times and allowed her to continue.

For all that Yan Xun had claimed that he and Xing'er were the same kind of person, the parrot knew the truth: Xing'er was more like himself than she'd ever been like the young prince. Like himself, Xing'er had come to the master not by choice but by the vagaries of fate. She'd initially chafed at the invisible chains that had bound her fast, but had only realized how subjective the concept of freedom could be when she'd gotten a taste of it.

Xing'er had once set him free after telling him that he was foolish to not understand the implications of his lack of freedom. Yet after being set free, he'd made the conscious choice to return to the master because he knew that his place was at his master's side. The master hadn't bothered to chain him for years because he knew that the Cangwu bird wouldn't leave him no matter what. Only in being granted freedom had the parrot come to understand that it didn't always take the form that you expected it to take.

As Xing'er experienced yet another contraction, the parrot acknowledged the truth: Xing'er had taken her freedom but had discovered the hard way that—for her, at least—freedom could only be found in the place in which she had once been a slave and in the arms of the man who had once been her master.

A gush of water interrupted the parrot's musings and he squawked in indignation, thinking that Xing'er had soiled him on purpose.

"S-sorry," she grated out as she doubled over, clutching at her abdomen.

In alarm, the parrot flew away and did the only thing he knew to do.

"Master! Master! Come now! Come now!"

He knew that the other women in the room could help his master's mate, but he also knew what Xing'er herself had taken so long to realize: She needed the master at least as much as he needed her.


	14. Chapter 13

AN: In all honesty, when I started writing this loose collection of stories, I'd planned on skipping the birthing scene altogether because I don't know much of anything about childbirth except what I've read. The following scenes are the result of Google, other stories I've seen/read, and my imagination. I'm sure I've butchered the birth process, so for any moms and medical professionals out there, I humbly offer an apology;). Since I've had lots and lots of practice with trying to reconcile continuity issues on shows, I can simply say that any mistakes are the results of a) CQ's labor simply being unique given who she is; b) bad information on the part of YWY or the midwives; and c) the weirdness of ancient Chinese customs that have been lost to antiquity (or that never existed; so sue me;P).

When Chu Qiao had been faced with the decision of where she'd wanted to give birth, the decision had been an easy one. While she could've elected to have had the tent set up outside or in another area of Green Hills, she'd known that there was no other place that she'd rather bring her child into the world than in her husband's main chamber.

This was the place where their relationship had truly begun, the place where their love had blossomed once they'd become husband and wife, and the place where they'd made the life that was about to make its way into the world. This was the place where he'd taught her those early kungfu moves that had formed the bedrock of her training—and the place where he'd taught her a different set of techniques that had served them well in their married life together.

She'd also known that she wanted her husband to be present for the birth. While she knew that this was outside the norm in their society, she didn't care. Her marriage to Yuwen Yue itself was outside the bounds of what was supposed to be done in polite society, after all, so why should she care about other people's opinions about something as personal as the birthing process?

Besides, Chu Qiao didn't want Yuwen Yue to be there just for her own peace of mind. She could finally say with absolute certainty that she knew her husband and the way his mind worked. She could finally say that she understood that nothing in the world mattered more to him than her well-being and happiness. She could finally say that she placed the same high priority on his well-being and happiness, so she didn't see the point of denying themselves what they both wanted just because other people didn't like it. Had they listened to those people, they wouldn't be in this position, after all.

Her current position was less than pleasurable, but her husband's training methods over the years had prepared her well for this moment. Chu Qiao now knew that everything her husband did, he did with good reason, and this was no exception. She was glad that she'd had the strength to remain in a squatting position for as long as she had. The midwives had assured her that this would help the baby to shift into the proper position and to make the labor go faster.

Her attendants had also told her that every birth was different, so she grumpily wondered if she could've accomplished the same thing by simply laying in their bed all day. Since her water had broken, her contractions had become longer and harder with less time between them. Chu Qiao somehow sensed that her baby would be coming soon, but she refused to cry out for her husband. She knew that he would come for her as soon as he could simply because he always had.

Besides, women had been doing this for generations without their husbands being present, so what made her so special? Why should she long for her husband at a time when most women wouldn't be wanting their men present?

 _Because I need him_ , came the simple answer as the worst contraction yet sent her to her knees. _I always have, and I always will._

Two of the midwives struggled to bring her back into a squatting position by wedging their shoulders under her arms and wrapping their arms around her waist. They accomplished their objective, but Chu Qiao was strong and quick enough to accidentally pull herself out of their grasp when the next wave of pain hit. She ended up back on her knees, angry at herself because she lacked the strength to do what she needed to do on her own.

Chu Qiao heard a pair of the double doors bang open and before she could even take another breath, her husband was just _there._ He crouched down behind her and effortlessly pulled her up into what her body sensed was the right position, holding her there with the same gentle, steady strength that he'd always used with her in her weakest moments. Her hands came to rest on his legs, which made an effective brace for her.

His hand settled across her abdomen so that he could softly massage it as he held both of them in a squat. His body formed a natural rest, supporting her so that she could use all of her strength to do what she knew she had to do.

 _Just like he's always done for me,_ she acknowledged.

Time lost all meaning for her, and she felt as if they were locked in this eternal embrace of pain and hope, weakness and strength, needing and giving. She was fire; he was ice. Her strength was fading; his strength was infinite. She strained with all of her might to bring new life into the world; he held onto her with the same implacable determination that he'd always displayed in their relationship.

 _I have to tell him,_ she thought as another contraction threatened to rip her apart. _He has to know._

"Yuwen Yue," she grated out. "I...I need you. Can you feel it?"

His hold briefly tightened around her waist and she felt the barest brush of lips against the back of her neck. He leaned in closely and whispered into her ear.

"I love you, too."

* * *

One thing that Yuwen Yue had had drummed into his head from an early age was how important it was to _be prepared._ When he'd first learned that Xing'er was pregnant, he'd sought out all of the medical texts about carrying and birthing children that he could find. His grandfather had even chastised him for using the Eyes of God to search for texts outside of their homeland in order to get as diverse an opinion as possible.

Some of those texts had given him the courage to allow his wife to break generations of pregnancy tradition by remaining reasonably active and maintaining as normal a routine as possible. He'd also given the kitchen strict orders to serve his wife certain types of foods and to avoid giving her others; since Xing'er hadn't complained about her meals and seemed to be the picture of health, he considered that bit of preparation to have been a success.

What those texts hadn't been able to prepare him for, however, was how he would feel while holding his wife around her middle as she moaned and panted in agony. No medical document had told him about how terrible and wonderful it would feel to be able to sense both his wife and child moving at the same time as the latter prepared to make its entrance in the world.

 _Nothing has ever been able to prepare me for watching Xing'er suffering._

Mentally, he knew that the birthing process was proceeding at a normal rate. His mind knew that this would be over soon and that his wife would be perfectly fine afterwards. After all, he would allow no other outcome. But his heart…

Yuwen Yue tightened his hold on his wife as another contraction shook her and he felt her pushing with all of her considerable strength.

"That's it, Xing'er," he said softly in her ear. "Push. You can do it. I know you can."

"Of course...I can," his wife panted. "I am...Xing'er...wife of Yuwen Yue...mother of his...child...first...and only...wife of his household…holder of the…Wind and Cloud Decree..."

He felt his wife bear down again.

"You forgot 'wielder of Can Hong Jian'. Is the sword I gave you so unimportant to you?"

"Your sword's...what got us into this mess."

"Really? You didn't seem to be complaining at the time."

"Of course...I wasn't. Po Yu Jian is a fine sword...we both would've died...at the icy lake...if I hadn't been able...to wield it."

Yuwen Yue playfully growled in her ear, doing his best to distract her from the pain she was currently experiencing. Somehow she found the energy to turn her head around and to meet his eyes with her own wide-eyed innocent look that she knew drove him crazy.

"What did you think...I was talking about?"

"I thought you were talking about how we were going to have many more children together."

"Yuwen Yue! The way I feel right now...isn't convincing me...that I want to do this...ever again."

"Ah, Xing'er," he purred into her ear. "Could you actually resist me?"

"If I think about this moment…at that moment...then yes."

"Then I guess I'll just have to try harder."

"I'm definitely...going to be more picky...in the future."

"We'll see. I'm pretty confident in my abilities."

"The head's coming out," one of the midwives said. "I can see the top of it."

Yuwen Yue's easy humor disappeared in an instant.

"Xing'er, listen to me," he said seriously. "You're going to want to push, but you can't, not while the baby's head's coming through. Lean back on me and relax."

"I've never been more...relaxed in my life."

"I know it burns, Xing'er, but the worst of it will stop soon. The most important thing is that you do your best to not push. Relax. Center yourself. Breathe with me."

For Yuwen Yue, the rest of the world ceased to exist. Nothing mattered to him besides the woman in his arms and the baby that he knew had gradually begun to enter the world. The breath whooshed in and out of his lungs as he set what he knew would be a good pace for Xing'er to match.

He felt his wife brace herself as another contraction pulsed through her.

"Don't push, Xing'er. I know you want to. Come on, love. Let your body do what it already knows how to do. Breathe with me."

Yuwen Yue could sense his wife's formidable, stubborn will turning inward, exerting the tremendous control over her body that he knew that she could possess during training and battle. Just as he'd known her to do so many times before, his wife pushed aside the pain and did what needed to be done.

"The head's out," the midwife said calmly. "Everything's going great. Just a little bit longer."

"Alright, Xing'er; you can push now if you want to."

The midwife who had spoken knelt down on the floor and placed her hands beneath the head of their baby, ready to catch it as it left his wife's body. It did so fairly quickly, and Yuwen Yue allowed his head to drop down against his wife's as her body sagged with relief in his embrace. He looked down at their child— _a son_ , his mind registered—before the midwives cut the cord and whisked the child away to tend to it.

"We have a son, Xing'er," he whispered tenderly to his wife as he straightened them both slowly up. "Thank you, my love."

"Any time," Xing'er said, exhaustion evident in her voice.

"I knew you'd come around to having more children with me," he said, smirking at his wife.

"Overconfident scoundrel."

"Only with you, Xing'er."

Yuwen Yue knew that his son was in competent hands, so he felt free to take care of his wife. He knew that she still had to deliver the afterbirth, but he figured that that could easily be done in their bed. Wordlessly he picked her up and carried her over to their bed and gently placed her down in the middle of it.

"I'll get blood on the blankets," Xing'er weakly protested as he straightened her out on the soft surface.

"That seems to be becoming a habit with you," Yuwen Yue said, smiling smugly down at his wife.

"It's been your fault every time," Xing'er said, looking up at him mischievously.

"I distinctly remember you getting yourself-"

A lusty cry rang out from their son, which his parrot instantly mimicked for all of Green Hills Courtyard to hear. The bird flew around excitedly while screeching out, "It's a boy! It's a boy! It's a boy!"

Yuwen Yue looked down at his wife, who shrugged.

"So much for the element of surprise," she said.

"Well, considering how freely the wine's likely to be flowing out there tonight..."

"Good point," Xing'er said sleepily, smiling at the loud cheers that rang out from all around the Courtyard.

"Son of Young Master Yue and Chu Da Ren, we pledge our lives to your service!" He Xiao's voice boomed out.

The rest of her Xiulis took up the cheer, bringing tears to her eyes.

"They love you, too," Yuwen Yue said as he gently leaned her forward, sat behind her on the bed, and leaned her back against himself.

He absentmindedly massaged her middle, knowing that that would help her body to deliver the afterbirth and to return to its normal state. Xing'er murmured in pleasure, not seeming to care why he was doing what he was doing. He knew that he'd shown a side of himself in front of the midwives that he'd only ever displayed around Xing'er, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Yuwen Yue looked up as he heard footsteps approaching, looking on in wonder as one of the midwives approached with their son, who was wrapped in a white blanket. She placed the bundle in Xing'er's arms, allowing his wife to hold their son for the first time. His arms tightened around her middle in reaction, and she looked up at him, more stars in her eyes than he'd ever seen.

 _Not too long ago, I held Xing'er in my arms much like this and thought that life couldn't get any better,_ he thought, lifting up a hand to gently touch the dark cap of hair on his son's head. _I've never been so glad to be wrong._


	15. Chapter 14

AN: For the guest reviewer wondering about what afterbirth is, here's some information about it: /labor-and-birth/third-stage/. Thanks to the rest of my guest reviewers for taking the time to leave reviews; I really appreciate it.

* * *

Zhan Mou had lived through a lot of bad times at the Green Hills Courtyard. The crippling and betrayal of his master, the scandal involving the young master's mother, the emperor's loss of trust in the Eyes of God...all of these had taken mental and, at times, physical tolls on the residents of Green Hills. When the young master had obviously become interested in his newest slave, Zhan Mou had agreed with his master that nothing but trouble could result from such a relationship.

True, they knew they might be able to use this slip of a girl named Xing'er to get rid of some enemies, but if she were to die in the process, that would likely be better for everyone. He knew that the young master was playing a dangerous game, and there were multiple times when loss had seemed imminent and inevitable. Zhan Mou remembered well that fateful day when his master had dropped one of the sticks that he'd held in his hand and had predicted that that meant woe for the Yuwen family.

Against the odds, however, Young Master Yue had not lost, but had won at the last minute when Xing'er had come through for him. Most importantly to the young master, he had won Xing'er's heart and had kept it ever since. Given the copious amounts of furniture and bedding they'd had to replace in their rooms and the way that they conducted their "training exercises," Zhan Mou predicted that theirs was a relationship that would last—much to his master's dismay.

Had someone told Zhan Mou after shooting the ice arrow that had led to Xing'er's capture that he would someday find himself standing behind his master in the courtyard celebrating her delivery of the future heir of the Yuwen family, he probably would've punched that person in the face and called him a fool. And yet, here he was, standing behind his master, who was currently swapping war stories with the emperor, some of his subordinates, and He Xiao.

The master had ordered the best wine they had to be brought out for the occasion, and everyone from the emperor himself to their lowest servant was partaking of it copiously. This was a night for celebration, and everyone seemed determined to celebrate. After facing so much adversity before the events of two years ago, who could blame them?

Zhan Mou had once been as stern and disapproving as his master, but after Young Master Yue had finally achieved his heart's desire, he'd just...gotten over it, honestly. Being stern and disapproving had gotten neither him nor his master anywhere in life, so what was the point? Not that Zhan Mou was going to start being an optimist any time soon, but he didn't see anything wrong with celebrating the love that his young master had found.

While he knew that calamity could always be right around the corner, he was still determined to take the good times—like this—when they came and to leave the bad times to be faced another day. He took a swig of his wine and mentally toasted the young master and his wife, who had managed to turn so much of the kingdom upside down almost, at times, by accident.

"Well, I must be getting back to the palace," Emperor Xiang said to the group at large. "Yuwen Zhuo, congratulations on your good fortune."

"Thank you, Your Highness—and thank you for honoring us with your presence, which will surely bring good fortune to the newest member of the Yuwen family."

The emperor stood up, and everyone else—except his master, of course—followed suit.

"If I may be so bold, Your Highness," He Xiao said, clasping his hands and bowing his head, "please allow me to remake the offer I extended to you earlier. Young Master Yue has already gifted us Xiulis with a sizable amount of quality wine for us to mark this occasion with. It's not as good as the excellent wine that has been shared with us this night-"

He Xiao inclined his head towards the master, who managed to return the nod without expressing his disapproval.

"-but it's still of an excellent vintage that will allow us to celebrate this occasion with the enthusiasm it deserves. Our servants have been working all day to prepare good food for us to eat, and Jille Pavilion has been freshly cleaned and readied for a night of celebration. Your Highness is most welcome to attend our humble gathering if you so desire."

Zhan Mou kept his expression neutral, knowing that his master's eyeballs were likely threatening to fall out of his head. He himself found the invitation amusing and hoped that the emperor would take He Xiao up on it. After all, if the emperor and the Xiulis could get to know each other better, that would surely bode well for future relations between the group of ex-rebels and the Wei government.

 _It could also cause a national incident, but what else is new in these chaotic times?_

"I accept your gracious offer," the emperor said after thinking a moment. "I wasn't looking forward to riding on the road so late at night, anyway. This sounds like a much more enjoyable use of time to me."

A soft choking noise sounded from his master's chair, but Zhan Mou ignored it, not wanting to draw the emperor's attention to his master's disapproval.

"Yuwen Zhuo, thank you again for your excellent hospitality. He Xiao, lead on."

The emperor and his officers took their leave of Green Hills Courtyard, and He Xiao left with them. Zhan Mou could hear the Xiulis taking their leave, obviously shocked, excited, and nervous to have such a powerful guest accompanying them to their party.

Silence finally descended over Green Hills Courtyard, and both he and his master released sighs of relief at the same time.

"I've had enough chaos for one day, Zhan Mou," his master said. "Let's retire to the peace of my inner sanctum."

"As you wish, master," Zhan Mou said, pushing his master away from the sitting area in which they'd been entertaining their somewhat unlikely assembly of guests.

He rolled his master past Yue Qi, who clasped his hands and greeted them from his position in front of Young Master Yue's rooms. Zhan Mou knew that the young man would likely spend the entire night there, making sure that no harm came to any within.

"I have a great-grandson," Yuwen Zhuo whispered in soft wonder.

Zhan Mou smiled into the darkness.

"You do, indeed."

"I might not approve of the methods my grandson used to give me a great-grandson, but I now think they were worth the trouble."

"I think his methods were probably pretty traditional," Zhan Mou said, smirking as he rolled his master into his room.

"Not if those furniture bills are to be believed," his master muttered.

Zhan Mou chuckled softly, almost shocked into silence when his master reluctantly joined him moments.

 _Maybe it's the wine,_ he mused as he prepared his master for bed. _Or maybe there's something special about the birth of a great-grandson that not even my master can resist._

* * *

Xiao Ce stared up at the stars in disbelief and dismay, feeling a sense of betrayal from what he'd come to regard as his close companions. True, they still told a positive story in regards to Qiao Qiao's labor itself, and he spared a wistful smile on behalf of his old friend and her husband. So the child was likely here already, but the rest…

Where the stars had previously only predicted health, safety, and prosperity for Qiao Qiao and her family, they now foretold of danger from a familiar foe, a settling of old grudges, and intervention from unexpected sources. Xiao Ce could easily guess that the familiar foe was his sister, although he had to grudgingly admit that Qiao Qiao had a knack for effortlessly making the most charming enemies. He knew his sister carried many grudges against not only Yuwen Yue but Qiao Qiao as well, so that part would fit, too.

As for the unexpected sources, he mentally shrugged. If they were unexpected, how could he possibly know them? The stars were being unusually unhelpful this night, and they gave him no clue as to whose actions could tip the balance between success and failure for his sister.

He felt a sudden, mad impulse to jump in his carriage and ride as fast as he could for Green Hills Courtyard, but he logically knew he wouldn't even come close to making it in time to stop whatever would likely be unfolding tonight.

 _She might be making her move even now, and there's nothing I can do._

Xiao Ce balled his hands into fists in fear and anger.

 _All I can do is to trust my people to do their jobs and allow the heavens to have their way. Man proposes; God disposes._

He tipped back his head and looked at the stars once again, knowing that he was in for a sleepless night. Maybe they would unfold their secrets to him as the hours wore on and whatever was fated to be came to pass. Or maybe he would have to wait until later in order to learn what fate had in store for them all.

* * *

Several days' ride from Xiao Ce's palace, Mo'er looked up at the same stars. Not that he knew how to read them; he just thought they were pretty. The moon was full and bright, which he knew to be a good and bad thing. On the one hand, a full moon meant that he'd be able to see anyone trying to sneak up on the back side of his parents' rooms. On the other hand, however, a full moon meant that he had fewer shadows in which he could hide.

Both his mom and his dad had given him lessons on observation and intuition. Mo'er knew that his dad had a strong ability to sense sights, sounds, and smells that were out of place. He'd watched, wide-eyed, as his dad had found out the answers to tough problems just by paying attention to what was around him.

His mom, on the other hand, just...knew things. While he knew that his dad would say that that was just his mom showing off her ability to easily get into trouble, Mo'er thought that maybe his mom got into trouble simply because she could sense its presence nearby. Sometimes she could just feel that things were _not right_ and that she needed to _get out now_ or _go do something about it._

Mo'er understood what his mom meant because that's exactly how he was feeling at the moment. He could sense that something was _not right_ and that he needed to _go do something about it._ His mom had told him that he needed to listen to that sense because doing so could save his life. Of course, she and his dad had gotten into an argument about when to listen to that feeling and when to be careful, but he felt that you could both listen and be careful at the same time.

So here he was, standing guard in the shadows outside his parents' rooms, dressed all in black and cradling the most precious gift his parents had given him besides their love and guidance. A few days ago, Mom and Dad had taken him to the archery practice area not far from where he was standing right now and had shown him how to use a small crossbow just like the ones they used. True, he wasn't close to being as good as they were, but by the end of the lesson, he was hitting near the middle of the target pretty often.

They had solemnly gifted him with his own crossbow and had told him that, since he was their son, he might need to use it someday. He was to only use it in an emergency, and he was never to treat it as a toy. Mo'er had practiced every day and felt that he could stop anyone trying to sneak in with the six arrows he could shoot quickly.

A soft scratching at one of the windows behind him made him flinch, but he managed to not make any noise that would give away his hiding place. Once he realized the sound was coming from inside his parents' rooms, he quickly and quietly opened the window just a little bit. To his surprise, his dad's parrot fluttered right in front of his face.

He opened the window just wide enough for the bird to fly through and then shut it as quietly as he could. Mo'er knew that his dad could hear the softest of sounds, but he hoped that his dad was sleeping so soundly after the events of a few hours ago that he wouldn't be able to hear. After several moments had passed without Dad coming over to investigate, Mo'er breathed a faint sigh of relief.

"You feel it too, don't you?" he whispered to the parrot, who nodded his head once.

Mo'er stared off into the night, thinking hard.

"Something's not right," he whispered. "Someone's coming, someone bad. I don't know where they're coming _from_ , so I'm going to stay where I think they're coming _to_. But you can fly, so you might be able to find them before I could."

The bright red parrot nodded in agreement again and went to fly away.

"Wait," Mo'er whispered, scooping up a handful of dark dirt near his hiding place and holding it out to the parrot.

The bird cocked its head before landing on the ground at Mo'er's feet. He bent down and gently placed the dirt all over the bird, darkening its coloring to brown instead of red. The parrot ruffled its feathers in disgust but still nodded his head in thanks.

"Good luck," Mo'er whispered, straightening back up and holding his crossbow loosely across his body.

The bird shook off a bit of dirt that hadn't stuck to his body and hopped away, taking off into the shadows and staying there as much as he could. Mo'er watched him until he was out of sight, not sure of what a bird and a boy could do against whatever was coming, but knowing that they would both do their best to protect the people they loved from harm.


	16. Chapter 15

AN: This story's almost over, guys. Tomorrow, I'll wrap up some loose ends, and then the next day will be the epilogue. After this, I'll work on "A Different Path," which is apparently going to go on a different path than what I'd planned on since I'd only meant to make it a one-shot. But since there seems to be such high demand for a more proactive, decisive CQ, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for reading and reviewing; I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

* * *

Xiao Yu was hidden just inside the tree line, ready to execute her plan now that all of the guests had left Green Hills Courtyard. She had to admit that she'd been a little bit nervous when all of those Wei troops had shown up—with the emperor! What were the odds?-but fortunately for her, they'd all apparently gone off to drunkenly carouse the night away.

The princess curled her lip in a sneer at the stupidity of men in general. How could they all be so coarse and clueless? Maybe if they were lucky, the emperor would get killed by the Xiulis and instability would come to Wei again.

 _Too bad I don't have the time or the means to arrange a little...accident…_

Xiao Yu stopped her fantasizing and focused on the moment at hand, allowing her senses to sharpen as they always did right before an infiltration. She heard nothing in the woods behind herself, but she hadn't expected to. Her people were in position and ready to defend her with their bows if necessary, but they would only reveal themselves if any pursuit followed her over the wall.

She'd seen no sign of Xiao Ce's people and figured that maybe they'd had orders to leave after the birth had occurred. Not that she had any idea why her dear brother's people had been here in the first place; maybe he really did have feelings for Chu Qiao after all. If that turned out to be the case, then secretly raising Chu Qiao's child as her own would give her that much more satisfaction.

With a final cautious look, she started sprinting towards the wall. She'd memorized the layout of Green Hills years ago before she'd made her attempt on the Eyes of God, so she knew where the best place to vault herself over the wall would be for her purposes. This particular portion of the wall was poorly lit, near the back of the property, and separated from the rest of the Courtyard by a stand of trees. Most importantly, she could easily reach the back side of Yuwen Yue's rooms from this area and would have good cover while she did so.

She jumped over the wall as effortlessly as she'd expected and noted with pleasure on her way down the absence of any light except that produced by the full moon. Her body reacted instinctively, moving almost without the princess's permission as it sensed something fast heading he way. Xiao Yu threw herself backwards, hearing the unmistakable whisper of darts skimming past her.

The princess sprang to her feet and drew her sword, getting it around in front of her just in time to meet the sword descending on her. She recognized the pair of eyes boring into hers from between the small space allowed by the black outfit that the woman was wearing, and her own eyes widened in shock. Then she threw herself into the battle, relishing the chance to kill this troublesome woman that she knew Yuwen Yue valued.

* * *

Meng Feng knew that her odds of taking out the princess with a single spray of darts were poor, but she figured that the worst that could happen would be that she would knock her enemy off-balance, which was always a good thing. She knew that in order to succeed in her mission, she'd have to take advantage of every fighting skill she possessed.

Xiao Ce's spy had been a good fighter, but the princess was at another level entirely. As Meng Feng slashed inside the princess's guard in a way that would've gutted most normal fighters, Xiao Yu merely bent both herself and her blade around the thrust. The princess straightened her sword and flicked it at Meng Feng's left shoulder, drawing first blood. Meng Feng barely felt the pain, having dealt with much worse over the course of three Afterlife Camp Nirvanas.

Time seemed to lose all meaning for Meng Feng as she and Xiao Yu exchanged blows, blocking, parrying, and thrusting in a deadly dance that she knew would trip one of them up eventually. She got inside the princess's guard again, this time scoring a crease across Xiao Yu's stomach. Meng Feng didn't have time to celebrate her hit as the princess redoubled her efforts, wielding her sword skillfully while taking small, digging steps that forced Meng Feng to back up.

In spite of her goals, Meng Feng almost wished that someone would hear the clashing of swords and come to her aid. As she narrowly avoided a blow to her neck, however, she grimly acknowledged that the only people who might be able to help her were likely deeply asleep in their bed only a short distance away. Well, there was another person who could've helped her, but she was surely tucked away safely in Yanbei with her husband right now.

 _Like I wish I were,_ she thought as she blocked the princess's sword and parried with her own thrust. _And yet, if I weren't here…_

Meng Feng knew that she was going to tire eventually and that she might not be able to succeed in capturing Xiao Yu alive. Xiao Ce's spy had told her some salient details about the princess's relationship with Yuwen Yue that had convinced Meng Feng that the less he knew about this affair, the better. Not that she believed for an instant that her former master would hesitate to protect his family, but she didn't want him to have to have the burden of the decision to kill his former penpal on his heart.

She redoubled her own efforts, using all of the deadly abilities that she'd honed over the course of her lifetime. However, she was facing a woman whose upbringing had been similar to hers in training level if not in brutality and deprivation, and she found her best efforts stymied at every turn.

All she did was make a single mistake. Just one foot out of place, slipping ever so slightly on a tree root. But that one error was enough to give the princess her opening, and she took it, slicing deeply into Meng Feng's sword arm and kicking her roughly against the trunk of a nearby tree. Meng Feng's sword went flying out of her hand, so she swiftly drew her dagger and launched herself as best as she could at the princess.

Xiao Yu kneed her in the gut and drove her back into the tree again, pinning her there as she drew her own dagger with a smile on her face. Meng Feng wriggled her dagger hand free and stabbed it into the princess's side, feeling a sense of satisfaction that if she was going to die, she'd at least managed to do so while inflicting pain on her foe.

Anger twisted Xiao Yu's face as she ripped the dagger out of her side and whipped her own right at Meng Feng's throat. A faint flapping of wings penetrated Meng Feng's consciousness right before a fuzzy missile flew right into the princess's face. Xiao You reared back in outrage and stumbled back a couple of steps, slashing her dagger at the flying figure.

Without warning, a spray of darts appeared across the princess's neck, narrowly missing the bird as it squawked in fear. Xiao Yu clawed at her throat, but whatever was on the darts quickly knocked her unconscious. She landed on the ground with a sodden thump, looking as limp as Meng Feng herself felt as she slid down the rough bark of the tree all the way to its base.

The fluttering wings sounded again, this time near her own head.

"Get up, badass! Get up, badass!" it said softly.

"You," she said weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you, badass!"

"So I see," Meng Feng said, smiling weakly. "Thank you."

Her former master's Cangwu parrot dipped his head in acknowledgment.

Meng Feng quickly found her wits and sprang up, her eyes searching for any sign of her mysterious helper. The parrot also flew around the treetops but seemed unable to find anyone. Whoever had thrown those darts had obviously already left and would probably not be easy to find.

 _Not that I'm in any condition to hunt down anyone right now…_

Meng Feng shook her head, doing her best to clear it. Picking up her sword, she wiped it on her black robes before replacing it in its scabbard; she did the same thing with her dagger. She took out two small coils of rope, using one to bind the princess's hands and the other to bind her feet.

Taking out one of the darts, she sniffed it and nodded her head in confirmation. A common knockout drug, just like she'd suspected. Several more darts that she pulled out had identical scents coming from them. The final dart, however, made her eyebrows raise in astonishment. She recognized the scent of the poison that she herself had used in her Afterlife Camp days. Tucking the darts away in a pocket in her robes designed for that purpose, she decided to try to figure out their mystery when she was more clear-headed.

As she'd done so many times in the past, Meng Feng sent the pain to the back of her mind and did what she had to do. She picked the princess up and slung her over her shoulders. Her wounded arm protested, but she ignored it. She'd have plenty of time to convalesce once she'd completed her mission. Ever so slowly, she began to make her way along the wall, Yuwen Yue's parrot flapping along silently but alertly beside her.

The morning after Meng Feng had shared the walk around the walls with Chu Qiao, the pregnant woman had invited her along for that morning's stroll as well. To Meng Feng's astonishment, Chu Qiao had proceeded to matter-of-factly show her all of Green Hills Courtyard's weakest points along the wall in terms of going and coming. She'd shown Meng Feng the best ambush and defense points, the darkest, most secret areas, and the best place to throw something over the wall from either side undetected.

When Meng Feng had asked Chu Qiao why she was sharing this information, her former master's wife had simply said, "Because you were there for him when I could not be—and because if you're going to be sneaking into my home, you may as well do it properly."

Meng Feng treasured both seals that the most important men in her life had given her. Her husband's seal gave her authority almost equal to his, and Yuwen Yue's seal gave her the standing of a Yue guard. However, Meng Feng treasured equally as much the total trust displayed by a woman who found trusting so difficult—and who had multiple reasons to mistrust her.

She sighed in relief as she reached the dark space along the wall. Meng Feng knew that the other side of the wall was equally dark and that they were also fairly close to the tree line here. She hoped that Xiao Ce's people had kept their end of the bargain and had gotten rid of the archers that the princess had brought with her.

Centering herself and relying on years of training, she heaved the princess over the wall. She sagged against the wall in exhaustion, her arm burning hotly. The parrot cooed in sympathy before flying up and over the wall. He quickly flew back over and nodded his head.

"All clear, badass."

"Thank you."

The parrot chirped softly before flying up into the trees and out of sight. Meng Feng briefly shook her head at the absurdity of the situation before mentally preparing herself to jump over the wall. The parrot's assurances aside, she knew that there might still be bowmen hiding in the trees on the other side of the wall.

She vaulted up and over and hit the ground in a crouch near the body of the princess. Drawing her sword just in case, she slowly stood up and faced the treeline. No arrows or bolts came her way, so she assumed that Xiao Ce's people had been successful and were waiting for her to deliver the princess into their tender, loving care. After making sure that Xiao Yu had survived her trip over the wall, she picked the princess up and placed her over her back once again.

While she'd earlier vowed to not let the princess actually make it into Green Hills Courtyard, she'd altered her plans after her discussion with Xiao Ce's spy. In exchange for them taking out the archers, she'd agreed to fight and capture the princess and to hand her over to them, which was something that she'd decided she'd best be able to do if she could gain the element of surprise over Xiao Yu. She was all in favor of this plan as it ultimately took Xiao Yu's fate out of both her and Yuwen Yue's hands. Meng Feng knew she'd tell Yuwen Yue the truth one day, but that day would hopefully be months or even years from now.

A soft rasping sound came from near her old hiding spot, which had been designated as the meeting place. She wearily dropped the princess at the feet of her allies and stood up straight again.

"I kept my end of the bargain," she said softly.

"Indeed you did," the lead spy said, her voice tinged with a bit of awe. "I offer you many thanks on behalf of my master."

"I owed your master a debt which has now been repaid," Meng Feng replied.

"Does my master know about this debt?"

"Maybe so; maybe not. Tell him that I'm the one who shot our mutual friend with a dart in my wilder days and that I'm grateful for his intervention on her behalf. Had he not sent Young Master Yue into the Afterlife Camp after the poison's antidote, I never would've become who I am today. Now we're even."

"You're injured," she said, tilting her head in Meng Feng's direction. "I can patch those wounds up, if you'd let me. You'd make better time on the road without having to worry about them."

Meng Feng agreed, and the wounds were soon given basic field dress. She thanked Xiao Ce's people and clasped her sword in front of her in respect; they did the same. Her mind had already turned towards home and her husband, so she gratefully allowed her body to follow suit.


	17. Chapter 16

AN: I was planning on picking this up from Yuwen Yue's perspective where I'm going to begin tomorrow, but so many people wanted for us to peek in on our OTP that I couldn't say no. (I mean, of course I couldn't say no. I'm not a PA writer;).) So now you get a bonus day of this story! Yay! On the downside, I'm sure you'll all be devastated to have to read two snippets in a row from Yuwen Yue's perspective. I know life is hard, guys, but I'm sure you'll soldier on somehow.

* * *

Zhong Yu was not sorry that she'd told A'Chu that she needed to stay with Yan Xun. She'd said that A'Chu was the only one who could keep Yan Xun on a righteous path, and as far as she was concerned, the events that followed at the icy lake proved that point. Not that she blamed her friend; after all, she herself had chosen to leave Yanbei, its people, and its problems behind in order to be with the man she loved, so how could she condemn A'Chu for doing the same?

Zhong Yu was not sorry for the things that she'd said and done to A'Chu; she felt they'd been necessary at the time and that she hadn't had any other good choices available to her. Still, she felt that she owed her friend for some of the things that had happened in the past. Sneaking behind A'Chu's back in Chang'an in regards to some of their escape plan, failing to stand up for the Xiulis, going along with Yan Xun's plan to sacrifice Yanbei so that they could sack Chang'an...all of these were debts that had weighed on her before tonight.

In fact, as she loped swiftly through the forest on her way back to Yanbei, she acknowledged that the fact that she was still alive likely had something to do with A'Chu's desperate bid for peace with Wei. Had her friend not lobbied in her favor before the royals of Wei, she knew that she might have been executed for war crimes. Instead, here she was, married to Yanbei's prime strategist and herself an important government official.

 _I always try to repay my debts, and I just repaid some big ones tonight._

She picked her way carefully through the forest, her ears perked up for any unusual, out-of-place sound. Zhong Yu knew the way back to Yanbei all too well; if she put herself in the right frame of mind, she could almost convince herself that she was five years younger and that Yan Xun and A'Chu would come riding up together on his horse with their enemies not too far behind.

But this wasn't five years ago, and the woods were alive with nothing more menacing than the common sounds of the night. Yan Xun was dead due to A'Chu's powers and his own bad choices. A'Chu was married to the man who had been their enemy for years and had just given birth to his baby. The woman whose life she'd just saved was no longer Yuwen Yue's top assassin fresh from the Afterlife Camp but had become Princess of Yanbei instead.

While Zhong Yu knew that Meng Feng didn't want to get caught skulking around this area, she herself knew that she _could not_ allow herself to be spotted in Wei. Meng Feng, at least, was known as Yuwen Yue's friend and ally, Princess of Yanbei, and faithful guardian of Yuan Song, ruler of Yanbei. She? Well…

Zhong Yu wasn't stupid. Few people still living knew more about how quickly fortunes could turn than she did. Right now, she was respected and reasonably trusted, but if she got caught dressed in black, carrying poison darts, and running around Green Hills Courtyard? A variety of people would likely draw a variety of conclusions, most of them wrong. She was determined not to give anyone the chance to do so.

Even having the Afterlife Camp poison on her would likely lead to bad results. Besides, it's not like she could tell people the truth about where she'd gotten it. While both she and Meng Feng were, more or less, politicians now, they both were, at heart, still what they were inside: Spies. Assassins. Killers. So Meng Feng had given her some of the poison "just in case." Not that either one had ever expected Zhong Yu to have to use it, but when you lived in chaotic times, having a little insurance was never a bad idea.

As she neared the well-hidden area where she'd left her horse and other necessities, she finally allowed herself to smile. She'd not only managed to repay multiple old debts tonight, but she'd also managed to settle an old score with an old enemy. Briefly allying herself with the Liang princess had left a sour taste in her mouth, but she'd allowed herself to do it out of desperation—and the belief that someday, she'd pay Xiao Yu back for all of the problems she'd caused.

Smiling savagely into the night, Zhong Yu rode hard for Yanbei. She could already feel the warmth of home and the welcoming arms of her husband. He hadn't been surprised at her desire to come once she'd received word from one of her connections that her old nemesis had been spotted in this area, but she knew that he couldn't help but worry about her. That was, after all, the nature of love—and she was grateful that A'Chu and the powers that be had given her the chance to live her life in peace with the man she loved.

* * *

Mo'er felt his eyelids starting to droop once again, but he mentally woke himself up as he'd been forced to do multiple times this night. He knew that someone bad was coming, but he didn't know who or where or when or how or even why. His crossbow was still loaded and ready, clutched firmly in his hands.

A flapping sound instantly drew his eyes to the trees just as his father's parrot—still wet from the bath he'd apparently just taken—flew into view. All thoughts of sleepiness were forgotten as Mo'er realized what the clean bird's presence might mean.

"Is it done?" he asked the bird as it silently flew near him. "Did you stop them?"

The bird merely nodded its head a couple of times, and Mo'er sagged with relief. He knew that there would be time to get the details later, but he wanted to be sure of one thing, at least.

"Do you think there's any more danger?"

The parrot stared pensively into the night before slowly shaking its head.

"But you don't know for sure."

His father's bird shook his head again.

"Okay, I'll let you in so you can go get some sleep. Besides, we don't want Dad to know what you've been up to. I'll stay here and keep watch just in case."

A flutter of wings served as the parrot's response as he flew towards the same window he'd left from what seemed to Mo'er to have been another lifetime ago.

Mo'er stuck his little finger under the bottom corner of the window just as he'd done before, but withdrew it after a second. He turned around and slowly lifted his hand to gently rub the parrot on the head with his hand.

"Thank you," he whispered.

The bird affectionately nipped a finger and flew near to the window, obviously ready for some hard-earned sleep.

Mo'er opened the window soundlessly and let the bird in before closing the window with the same lack of noise. He settled back into the shadows, mentally readying himself to stand guard for the last few hours of the night before dawn.

Part of him was sad that he'd missed out on the chance to fight the bad guys, but the other part of him knew that sometimes you had to let other people fight the bad guys while you stood watch in the dark. Besides, someone could still be out there, watching and waiting for an opportunity to strike when no one was paying attention. Mo'er straightened his shoulders, determined to not give anyone the chance to harm the people he loved.

* * *

Yuwen Yue was proud of the keen sense of observation that he'd honed over the course of his lifetime. The training that he'd endured through the years enabled him to do things like dodge arrows based on sound alone, to identify poisons in food and drink by smell, and to be able to notice even the slightest out-of-place object that could signal that an intruder had been in his rooms.

At the moment, all of his observational senses were being employed in the immensely important occupation of watching his wife nurse their newborn son in their bed without being too obvious about his interest. After all, a good spymaster never missed an opportunity to improve his skills through practice. Besides, the experience of observing Xing'er feeding their son as the early-morning light filtered in through the windows was captivating enough to merit his attention for awhile.

He was seated in the chair facing their bed, so he had an unimpeded view of his wife's activities. Yuwen Yue liked a challenge, though, so he was pretending to read the latest briefing from his Eyes of God operatives. After all, staring at his wife in her current state would doubtlessly lead to Xing'er saying and doing things that would distract him from his training. He tried to pretend that he would regret his wife's actions in that case but was unable to do so.

Not wanting to rely too heavily on sight, Yuwen Yue looked at his report and focused down onto the scents that were now filling his rooms. Xing'er's own distinctive scent had always had a potent effect on him, but the smell of a newborn baby—their son—added to the mix was indescribable. He knew nothing to which he could compare it, which might've troubled him if he'd been seriously training. Another smell reached his nose and a corner of his mouth quirked once he identified it as breast milk.

 _Too bad all of my other exercises aren't this enjoyable…_

Yuwen Yue focused next on the contented sounds that his son was making as he drank his fill of his mother's milk. Not that Yuwen Yue could blame him; after all, were he to find himself in similar circumstances…

 _Focus, man! You're Yuwen Yue, the owner of Green and Red Hills Courtyards, the inheritor of the Eyes of God, a general of Wei, the wielder of Po Yue Jian, the husband of the most beautiful woman in the world, who's currently nursing your newborn son and surely looking adorably contented while doing so if you'd just look up…_

This training exercise was not going according to plan.

 _Of course it is…_

Yuwen Yue gave up and raised his eyes, only to see his wife gazing at him with that combination of innocence and mischief that had never failed to sharpen all of his senses in anticipation. She had let her robes slip almost completely down her back to puddle on the bed itself in what he was certain was a deliberate pose. Her eyes were as full of stars as they'd been the night before, and he was only slightly surprised to find himself standing up from his seat and walking over to the bed.

"What were you reading?" Xing'er asked impishly. "Whatever it was seemed to have less than your full attention."

"I was reading the latest Eyes of God briefing."

"What was included in that report that put _that_ particular look on your face?"

"That's top-secret information. I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you."

"Oh. I see. I have top-secret clearance, though, so I'll just read it later so I can see what you found so interesting about it."

"I don't think you'd find it nearly as interesting as I did."

"Are you sure it was the contents of that briefing you found so interesting? Or was it something else?"

"As a matter of fact," Yuwen Yue said as he sat down on the bed beside his wife, "I've always found the contents of this bed more interesting than anything else—but only when you're in it."

"Hush, you scoundrel! Do you want our son to hear your dirty talk?"

"He should probably get used to it. If he inherits even a little of your aptitude for trouble, he's probably going to be sneaking around and spying on us anyway."

" _My_ ability to get in trouble? _My_ ability to sneak around? _You're_ the spymaster! If he's going to inherit those traits from anyone, it's going to be you."

His eyes darkened as he leaned in closer towards his wife and child.

"Maybe we'll just have to agree that he's likely going to inherit those traits from _us._ "

" _Us,"_ Xing'er said breathlessly, turning her head fully towards her husband. "We'll both be to blame."

Yuwen Yue bent his head the last few inches and kissed his wife on her lips, adding multiple sensory inputs to his training session that had gone so delightfully awry. The feel of her lips on his, the taste of her mouth, the warmth he could feel radiating from her body...all of those things overwhelmed him, and he cheerfully allowed them to do so.

Reluctantly he pulled away, knowing that they couldn't go any further. She seemed to be a bit disappointed, too, which brought a smug smile to his lips. Xing'er scowled back at him in response as he stood up and walked towards their back doors.

"Where are you going?" she asked, still a bit breathless.

"I should probably at least pretend like I'm going to attend to my duties today," Yuwen Yue said. "I figured I'd do some archery practice and sword drilling."

"Would you mind an observer later?"

"I'm sure Yue Qi would be delighted to spend time watching me do my drills."

"Ah, but would you enjoy Yue Qi watching you as much as you'd enjoy me watching you?"

"Not if you come out dressed like that."

"Rogue. Scoundrel. Rascal."

"Only around you, Xing'er," he said, getting the last word in as he went through the doors.

 _Training is so much more enjoyable when Xing'er's involved..._


	18. Chapter 17

AN: Thanks to reallyseaweed, who asked about Zhou Yu, I did some research and discovered her name's actually Zhong Yu. I guess that's what happens when you have an American trying to write fanfiction about Chinese characters. I've since corrected those errors and posted the edited version. To the reviewer who asked about Mo'er's place in the family, I hope this clarifies things a bit. That same reviewer asked about Xiao Ce's son; to clarify, I'm not using anything from the book in my story. For me, canon is what we got onscreen and nothing else. Xiao Ce's still enjoying his unmarried lifestyle and is likely to continue doing so for awhile.

* * *

Yuwen Yue walked through the back door of his rooms with the intention of heading out to his practice area, but he'd only taken a few steps when he caught sight of a huddled, darkly-dressed figure out of the corner of his eye. His gaze softened as he recognized the figure of his adopted son, who had obviously fallen asleep in the night while guarding his parents' rooms.

Recognizing the small crossbow clutched loosely in the boy's hands, Yuwen Yue's lips quirked slightly. He strode soundlessly over to his son and deftly removed the crossbow, not wanting to startle him into triggering it by accident.

Yuwen Yue tucked the crossbow into his robes and bent down with the intention of picking up his son so that he could take him back to his own room. Before he could lift the boy up, however, his eyes were drawn to a small dip in the ground where his son had, apparently, scooped up what would've been a large handful of dirt for one so young. His eyes then tracked to an area near the hole where some dirt—a decent bit less than what would've been in his son's hand—lay sprinkled around in a rough sort of semi-circle.

From those clues, he deduced that his son had, at some point in the night, scooped a big handful of dirt from the earth and placed it on, presumably, a small animal of some sort. Mo'er had to have put dirt on something alive since whatever it was wasn't here anymore. Immediately, he zeroed in on a small set of familiar tracks in the dirt that trailed along the outside of the building and twisted in the direction of the back wall before abruptly disappearing.

Yuwen Yue's relaxed demeanor also disappeared as he realized that more than youthful hijinks might've happened last night. Besides, his son wasn't the "playing in the dirt" type, so the odds of him shirking his self-appointed guard duty in order to mess around were slim.

Working on a hunch, Yuwen Yue turned back towards the window immediately behind where Mo'er had been standing guard all night and looked at the corners. As he suspected, the corner that his son would've had to pull to open the window from the outside had less dust on it than the other corners. So his parrot had sensed his son standing outside the window, had somehow asked to be let outside without he himself hearing it, had been let out, and had, what? Let his son put dirt on him? For what purpose?

 _Well, why was Mo'er dressed in black? Why would you be? Or Xing'er?_

Dark, painful images from long ago of his confrontation with Xing'er at the top of the Red Hills tower pounced on Yuwen Yue without warning, but he was able to banish them from his mind with the memory of watching Xing'er feed their son just a few minutes previously. He focused instead on the conclusion that his parrot had allowed the dirt to be put on him in order to camouflage his bright red and white feathers that would've been highly visible in the light of last night's full moon.

While the bulk of his observational powers during his "training exercise" had been focused on his wife and newborn son, Yuwen Yue had still managed to detect two scents that had been slightly stronger than they should've been even though they were ordinary, everyday smells: fresh dirt, and water tinged with earth. Both of these odors, he remembered, had been strongest around his parrot, who had looked more deeply asleep than Yuwen Yue had ever seen him. The presence of those smells hadn't even registered at a conscious level because they were so common, but they loomed large in his mind now.

 _First things first,_ Yuwen Yue thought to himself as he bent down and picked up his son, being careful not to disturb any of the evidence around him.

He strode quickly and confidently through Green Hills, arriving at Mo'er's room in short order. Careful not to wake the boy, he gently set his son down on his bed and pulled the covers over him. While his mind was itching for him to take a walk out to the wall and solve this latest mystery, he still took a moment to watch his boy as he slept.

In his heart of hearts, Yuwen Yue had recently begun to consider the possibility that, regardless of any children that he and Xing'er might have together, the inheritor of the Eyes of God might end up being the sleeping boy in front of him. He knew that his grandfather would have a fit over the concept of the adopted son of a Yanbei traitor assuming control over the Eyes of God, but considering Xing'er's own rebellious history...hopefully he would outlive his grandfather anyway, making the choice his alone.

Mo'er already had the makings of an excellent spy. He was observant, quiet, conscientious, cautious, and brave. He was willing to do what was necessary to get the job done even if he had to work hard to accomplish his objective. The small amount of combat and weapons tactics that he and Xing'er had taught their son had been soaked up readily and demonstrated back to them competently.

And yet, Yuwen Yue couldn't help but hesitate to take the boy down this road that he himself had been forced to walk. While he had found a woman around whom he could be himself, most other people still saw him as a cold, aloof spymaster without either emotions or a heart. Yuwen Yue knew that much of the persona that had become the natural mask that he presented to the public was the result of years of careful cultivation. Did he really want to do the same thing to his son?

 _Does my son really want to live that kind of life? Will any of my sons want to live this kind of life?_

Yuwen Yue stared pensively into the middle distance as he tried to envision a future in which his adopted son presented the same remote, inaccessible aura to those around him as he himself did. Mo'er was already somewhat of a loner who preferred to spend a lot of time on his own, but he and Xing'er did the best they could to spend time with the boy and to draw his childish side out. But they'd also given him a weapon, taught him how to observe and sneak and spy, and instructed him in the basics of hand-to-hand combat.

 _We're all going to have to sit down and have a talk soon,_ he thought as he set the boy's crossbow down on a small table and walked back out into the morning air. _I'm not going to make the same mistakes my father made, and I'm not going to force my son—or any of my sons-to walk down this path. Mo'er's young, but he already has the maturity to make some decisions about his future. He's already so much like me that I sometimes find myself forgetting that I didn't help to make him._

Yuwen Yue's musings stayed with him as he walked towards the wall in the general direction that his parrot's tracks had indicated he'd flown last night. As he neared a stand of trees that separated the main complex from the wall, his nose began to detect a variety of smells that were out of place. He smelled his parrot and freshly-disturbed dirt, but he also smelled...people.

All sentimental thoughts left Yuwen Yue's mind as he once again became the spymaster. He carefully made his way through the trees and looked at the ground in front of what he knew to be a somewhat vulnerable part of the wall that was always guarded closely whenever trouble was in the air. There were scuff marks and footprints all around, arrayed in a pattern that suggested that two top-notch fighters had gone toe to toe.

 _In fact…_

A shock traveled through him as he realized that both footwork patterns were familiar to him. He began to piece together what had happened in his mind. He could envision one princess vaulting over the wall while the other...what? Bushwhacked her?

Yuwen Yue crept up to a bunch of bushes that he knew his wife had scoped out for such a purpose should she ever have to defend that stretch of wall herself and saw the familiar bootprints that confirmed his suspicions. So she, what? Attacked with her sword? Or maybe…

He envisioned his one-time follower throwing a handful of darts at Xiao Yu's height and carefully walked across the battlefield, not wanting to disturb any of the footprints. Near the base of the wall, he found what he was looking for and picked up several small, poison-tipped darts. He sniffed them and confirmed his suspicions about the identity of their wielder.

Yuwen Yue wasn't surprised that the princess had been able to dodge them; after all, he knew her combat capabilities quite well. He pieced the fight together step by step, finally making his way to the foot of the tree and grimly staring at the scuff marks and blood stains on its trunk and base.

 _So what happened? How did Meng Feng escape?_

A brownish-red feather lying on the ground caught his eye, and Yuwen Yue was glad that nobody was around to witness the look of absolute shock that crossed his face.

 _Surely not. There's no way my parrot was flying around here last night beating up and rescuing princesses. If I told Xing'er that theory, she'd never let me hear the end of it._

And yet, something had obviously made the princess stagger back from the base of the tree. He'd have a talk with his bird later and see if he could get any information out of him.

 _Preferably when Xing'er's not around; she'd have way too much fun during the "interrogation."_

A smell was still bothering him, however, and he realized with a jolt that he smelled a third person who wasn't supposed to be there. A woman's scent was coming from…

Yuwen Yue looked up into the stand of trees and found the one with the best angle of the wall. It coincided with the large imprint of a fallen body and the deeply-sunken footsteps that indicated someone had lifted the body onto its back and carried it away. He paced a bit beyond this area and found several more darts that were different in style from the others he'd found but coated with identical poison. While he couldn't be absolutely certain, he was reasonably sure that he had more than one woman who currently lived in Yanbei to thank for protecting his home last night.

After looking around the area a bit more, Yuwen Yue went back towards his rooms lost in thought. The evidence painted an ominous picture, and he realized how close he'd come to disaster and loss last night. He knew he'd have to tell Xing'er; he didn't keep secrets from her anymore. She had the almost uncanny knack for discovering his secrets at the worst possible times and in the worst possible ways that tended to lead to personal and national disasters, so he figured that telling her everything upfront was better for all of them in the long run.

"Everything" included the whole pen friend mess with the princess; he'd sat down and told her about the whole affair not long after she'd agreed to marry him. He'd expected her to be jealous, and she had been a little bit, but she'd mostly expressed bewilderment at the absurdity of the entire situation. She'd also done the best she could to comfort him since she knew how much such a revelation must have hurt him. The solicitous attention he'd received from his bride-to-be had almost made the situation worthwhile.

That the princess held a grudge didn't surprise him, but the lack of intelligence he'd received from his contacts dismayed the spymaster. Nobody had breathed a word of her presence to him or his people, so he had to admit that she'd almost made her way into Green Hills Courtyard again. Just like before, however, those he loved had stepped up and protected him and his family. His love and respect for Mo'er went up a few more notches, and he smiled with pride in the role that his son had played in the protection of his family last night.

 _I may not have had a hand in making him, but both Xing'er and I will do our best to form him,_ Yuwen Yue vowed to himself as he went in search of his wife _._


	19. Chapter 18

AN: Okay, so what was supposed to be a short bit of XingYue turned into this monster. I swear those two hijack my brain and my fingers, forcing me to write words on the page while refusing to let me go. It seems I've become your friendly, neighborhood XingYue dealer, so enjoy today's hit of the good stuff. Tomorrow will be the tying up of the last main loose end, then we'll have the epilogue.

* * *

Chu Qiao rested her head contentedly on her husband's shoulder as he strode towards the area along the wall that he was taking her to see. When he'd told her about the evidence he'd found there, she'd naturally wanted to take a look for herself. He'd refused to tell her all of the details, though, saying that he wanted her to be unbiased when she was examining the scene.

While she was perfectly capable of walking out to the wall herself even though she'd just given birth the day before, she'd worked out a compromise with her protective husband to walk on her own until they were out of sight of the main area of Green Hills and to let him carry her the rest of the way. She'd put up a few token protests, but she couldn't really object to any part of her current situation outside of the implications of what they were going to investigate.

After all, when your husband was as strong and handsome as hers was, why wouldn't you take advantage of the situation? Besides, she knew that underneath that placid, impassive exterior, he was enjoying carrying her as much as she was enjoying being carried. Chu Qiao knew that she probably could've gotten him to put her down if she'd made a serious fuss, but she'd finally given up on denying them both the things they wanted based on some personal code of toughness or nobility.

 _I've spent so much of my life not letting myself accept these things that Yuwen Yue wants to do for me that I refuse to do so anymore. That doesn't mean, however, that I can't have a bit of fun in the accepting._

"Is this part of your training session?" she asked, unable to resist the temptation to needle her husband.

"Of course," he responded. "Surely you don't think I'd be wasting my time with you otherwise."

"Ah, yes. I'm sure that this is an essential part of your exercise regimen."

"As a matter of fact, it _is_ essential. I need the practice, you see."

"Practice? For what?"

"For carrying you, of course. You get into so much trouble and need rescuing so often that I need to keep my strength up."

" _I_ get into trouble? How much of that trouble is caused by my being around _you_?"

"You're trying to blame _me_ for the trouble you've gotten into over the years? The first time we met, you were in trouble. Where would you be if it weren't for me?"

Chu Qiao's face went serious as the conversation stopped being funny for her. She lifted a hand and traced her husband's strong jawline, idly musing that he'd only grown more attractive since the first time she'd met him.

"I don't even want to think about where I'd be," she said huskily, looking him in the eye.

"Then don't," he said softly, bending his head and kissing her as they conveniently entered the stand of trees near the wall.

Only too glad to obey her husband in this instance, Chu Qiao allowed herself to lose herself in her husband's embrace. Her hands had wound themselves around the back of Yuwen Yue's neck of their own volition, but she saw no reason to correct their positions. Her husband finally pulled back and looked down at her with a smug grin on his face.

"Is that also part of your training regimen?" she asked, her breathlessness somewhat ruining the sarcasm she'd wanted to convey.

"Of course it is. I want to be able to hold you in my arms and kiss you even when I'm old and gray, so I need to make sure that I build up those muscles now while I'm still young."

"How do you know I'll still want to kiss you when you're old and gray?"

Her husband merely replied with that intense look that always made her eyes widen and her pulse race, and this time was no exception.

"I guess I should be asking you if you'll still want to kiss me even when I'm old and gray—and fat from all of those children that you want me to have with you," she said, a bit of insecurity sneaking into her voice.

Yuwen Yue gently set her down on her feet but still held her close, his hands held possessively at her waist. His heart was in his eyes the way it only ever was when they were alone together—or when the situation was dire enough for him not to care.

"In our line of business, Xing'er, what do we do when we have a question? We gather information about the subject of the question until we have a satisfactory answer. Then we test the validity of the information we've been given so that we know that we have the right answer."

"Oh," was all Chu Qiao could manage.

"We can't truly know how we'll be when we're old and gray, but you can still tell from the shape of your body that you just gave birth to our child recently. Have I given you any impression that I find you _less_ desirable even though you have a bit _more_ weight on you?"

"No," Chu Qiao said softly.

"So there's your information and your observations, Xing'er. Maybe we should also conduct a test to be sure."

While one of his hands stayed at her waist, the other moved around her shoulders as he pulled her in for another kiss. Her husband's kiss left no doubt in her mind about how much he desired her, and he took his time addressing all of her insecurities. After he ended the kiss, he pulled her into a hug and held her there.

"So you've gone from physical exercise to conducting tests on information you've gathered? How professional of you."

"Yes," he murmered into her ear. "These tests are very, very important. In fact, I intend to continue conducting them frequently."

"Just as long as I'm the only one you conduct these tests on, I suppose I could keep helping you with this part of your training also."

His arms tightened around her in response and they stood there peacefully for a few more moments.

"Yuwen Yue," Chu Qiao said suspiciously, an idea forming in her head. "Did you actually want me to see something you found or did you just want to get me alone out here?"

"A good spy knows how to take full advantage of every situation."

"Of course you'd say that."

"No, I actually did want to get your opinion about what happened near the wall. In fact, we're not far from where I want you to start."

Chu Qiao followed her husband as he led her to the edge of the stand of trees and stopped. He stared at her expectantly, and she had a question on the tip of her tongue when a faint but familiar scent reached her nose. Her eyes widened in shock as she tilted her head back to look up into the tree where she figured her old friend must have crouched.

"Zhong Yu," she said decisively, not surprised when Yuwen Yue nodded his head.

"I thought so, but I knew that you'd know for sure. Her identity was the one I was least certain of."

Chu Qiao focused on the other scents around her, carefully walking around what was obviously the sight of an intense fight. Her eyes widened as she saw the trunk of the tree that still had scuffs and bloodstains on it.

"Meng Feng fought someone who actually almost beat her? But who-?"

The question died on her lips as she caught another smell in the area. Memories from long ago assaulted her as she remembered greeting a veiled woman at that long-ago lantern festival, following and fighting her in the inner sanctum of the Eyes of God, and battling with her in the arms dealer's store and hideout.

"Xiao Yu?" she asked, wondering why she was feeling so shocked given their history with the Liang princess.

Yuwen Yue nodded curtly, his jaws clenching visibly.

Chu Qiao walked over to him and hugged him, unsure of whether she was giving or taking comfort. She broke away from Yuwen Yue and walked around the site, coming to most of the same conclusions that her husband had reached and having him confirm them.

Wordlessly, she let him pick her up and carry her back into the stand of trees, the tighter clench of his hands and arms around her body telling her all she needed to know about his state of mind. She put her arms back around his neck, rested her head back on his shoulder, and made a quick decision.

"Who said you could put me down?" she asked her husband in a lofty voice when he went to set her down near the main area of the Courtyard.

"That was our compromise," Yuwen Yue said, looking down at Chu Qiao questioningly.

"Well, I have decided that I do not want to walk back to our rooms today. You shall have to carry me all the way back to my bed."

"I think that can be arranged with a bit of extra effort," Yuwen Yue said, his face impassive but his eyes twinkling.

"I knew I count on you to—Yuwen Yue! You! Where are you going?"

"If you want to actually be able to enter our rooms without my putting you down, then someone else is going to have to open the doors for us. Many of our guards are still resting from the hard work they did last night, but surely there will be someone who can help two such esteemed people as us."

"Right you are, husband," Chu Qiao said, assuming as regal a posture and expression as she could given the circumstances.

Her husband, of course, had his mask on and looked for all the world as if carrying his wife around in his arms was a normal, everyday occurrence for him. They entered the main courtyard and were recognized instantly although nobody really seemed to know how to greet them. The guards and servants stared at them in bewilderment, making Chu Qiao laugh inside even as she held her haughty expression.

Yue Qi was the only one who managed to maintain a straight face. Maybe this was because he'd only recently woken up from the nap that Yuwen Yue had forced him to take after standing guard all night and was still sleepy, or maybe he'd simply grown used to the unpredictability of his master where his master's wife was concerned.

"Open the door at once, Yue Qi," Chu Qiao said in her best "bored, bratty princess" impression. "The master and I need to enter our rooms."

"At once, Chu Da Ren," her husband's personal guard said in a creditable impersonation of one of her Xiulis, adding a bow in for good measure.

Yue Qi opened the door for them with a flourish and closed it behind them once they'd walked inside. Husband and wife stared at each other for a few moments before Yuwen Yue put Chu Qiao down gently. They would've continued looking into each others' eyes, but the mood was shattered by a familiar yet somewhat tired-sounding voice.

"The idiots are coming! The idiots are coming!"

"Ah, you're awake," Yuwen Yue said to his bird. "You slept a long time. Why were you so sleepy?"

"Long night," the parrot said, making his best innocent face.

"Hmmm, yes," Yuwen Yue said, walking over to his bird. "I think you had a very long night, indeed. Would you care to tell me about it?"

In answer, the parrot pretended to fall asleep, even making human-sounding snores. Yuwen Yue pulled out a single, dirt-stained feather from his robes, held it in front of the parrot's face, and tapped his head. He let out an indignant squawk that turned into a squeak when he realized what his master was holding.

"What are you doing, Yuwen Yue?" Chu Qiao asked in puzzlement. "What's that you're holding? Why are you interrogating your parrot?"

"Fool! Fool! Fool!"

"Never mind, husband. Feel free to interrogate him all you want—and any way you want."

"How did Meng Feng escape from the base of the tree last night?" Yuwen Yue asked the room at large.

"Badass! Badass!"

"Yes, she is," Yuwen Yue agreed with his bird. "But I found this at the site of a large fight that happened near the wall last night."

Yuwen Yue held up the dirt-darkened feather, making Chu Qiao gasp in shock as she realized the implications.

"You can't be serious, Yuwen Yue. There's no way..."

"I think Meng Feng and Zhong Yu had some help last night. I think Xiao Yu had Meng Feng beaten at the base of that tree where Zhong Yu couldn't throw her darts. I think something flew into Xiao Yu's head, which caused her to stumble back just far enough for Zhong Yu to have a clear shot with her darts."

Chu Qiao almost started teasing her husband about the ridiculousness of his ideas, but she couldn't stop herself from verbalizing a fundamental truth of their relationship.

"Well, that wouldn't be the weirdest thing that's ever happened around us."

"Sadly enough, that's true," Yuwen Yue agreed.

Chu Qiao walked up to her husband's bird and lightly stroked it on the head.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Xing'er! Xing'er! Xing'er!"

"From all of us," she said after a baby's cry sounded from the nursery area.

The parrot ducked his head and gave the impression of blushing—if a bird that was already red could blush.

Before Chu Qiao or a servant could get her son, Yuwen Yue had already picked him up and brought him over to the bed she'd already gotten into. The sight of her husband cradling their child so gently and looking down at him with such love was as captivating to her as she'd figured the sight of her feeding their son had been to Yuwen Yue. Their eyes met, and the emotional pull between them seemed almost physical. He gently undid her robes for her before handing her their son.

Obviously trying to regain his composure, he went back to his desk and sat down in the same chair facing their bed that he'd been in early this morning. She watched in amusement has her husband picked up the same briefing he'd been looking at early that morning.

"Going to read that Eyes of God report again?" Chu Qiao said from the bed, holding their son to her breast. "You seemed to find it so interesting this morning."

She smiled as she watched her husband trying to retain his dignity as he unrolled the report and began to read it. Not that his eyes seemed to move all that much—at least not in regards to the briefing.

"Maybe you'd get more done if you came over here," she said, deliberately widening her eyes in innocence.

Yuwen Yue cocked his head as if he were thinking hard. With slow, deliberate motions, he stood up and walked over to the bed, report still in hand. Chu Qiao knew she'd never get tired of watching her husband approach their bed, especially when he had _that_ look on his face. He placed his empty hand on her back and gently pushed her forward, ignoring the baby's indignant squawk as he settled in behind her and pulled her and their son back against him.

He held the report up in one hand and made a show of reading it, not fooling his wife for a second. Chu Qiao figured she'd give him his dignity, though, and remained silent, once again finding no reason to complain about her current circumstances.


	20. Chapter 19

AN: After my double-posting screw-up yesterday, I figured I'd just finish the story and post both end pages today. This is the end of the story, and the next one's the epilogue. I hope you enjoy the wrapping up of this last big loose end.

* * *

Xiao Ce stood outside the entrance to what he knew to be one of his sister's hideouts with a somewhat bewildered expression on his face. Upon her return, his head spy had simply told him smugly that not only had they successfully completed their mission, but they'd also brought back a delicious bonus. She'd refused to tell him what they'd done and had insisted that he had to see it in order to believe it. He knew he could've ordered her to tell him everything, but what was life without a bit of adventure?

So here he was, at the door of a place that he'd only known about but never been inside. Xiao Ce proceeded with caution, but he wanted to believe that his most trusted subordinate wouldn't lead him into a trap. The crown prince hadn't lived as long as he had by being naive, however, so he still did his best to remain vigilant. Just because he trusted his head spy didn't mean that he didn't know that she could turn on him in an instant if the money or motivation was good enough.

He entered the building and quickly passed into a dimly-lit rectangular room that had a large cage in the middle. The candlelight flickered off the walls and enhanced the beauty of a striking young woman who was reclining on an elevated bed several feet away from the cage. Xiao Ce's eyebrows raised all the way up when he realized that not only did the woman bear an uncanny resemblance to his Qiao Qiao, but she was also crafting tiny ice needles from a bowl of water and flicking them at the bound figure inside the cage.

Wordlessly, she sent another needle flying with savage glee into the neck of his sister, who had definitely seen better days. The prince didn't shock easily and had seen many things over the course of his career as a spy, but he found himself speechless at the sight of his sister in such bad condition and circumstances. She glared at him with absolute hatred, and he was glad of both the sturdy bars and the strong-looking ropes that kept her away from him.

"I knew you had something to do with this, brother," Xiao Yu spat at him, breaking the silence. "What I don't understand is, why?"

"What do you mean, 'Why?' Why would I want to imprison you? Why would I want my people to stop you from doing whatever it was you were doing? Why am I enjoying this charming young lady tormenting you with ice slivers as much as I am? There are so many possibilities, Sister Dearest."

"Why were your people even outside of Green Hills Courtyard? What stake did you have in the birth of Yuwen Yue's child? Or were you there because it was the birth of Chu Qiao's child?"

"Why would I be interested in the birth of the potential inheritor of the Eyes of God and the Yuwen holdings-not to mention the potential inheritor of the Wind and Cloud Decree? I should think my reasons for interest would be obvious."

"Are you sure they're not more...personal?"

"How about you, Sister? Are your reasons...personal?"

"Did you really just try the 'answer a question with a question' tactic on me? How amateur of you, Brother."

"Did it work?"

He enjoyed watching his sister grit her teeth in irritation at his antics. Xiao Ce tended to have that effect on a lot of people, and he enjoyed leaving annoyance in his wake. His thoughts wistfully turned to Qiao Qiao for a few moments before returning to the matter at hand. He decided to give her a plausible answer based on the partial truth.

 _Especially since I don't want to tell her about the whole "saving Qiao Qiao from poison" affair..._

"My stake in this was the repayment of a life debt. When...someone tried to assassinate me several years ago when I was visiting Chang'an, Chu Qiao saved my life at great personal risk to her own and even got injured on my behalf. She had no reason to protect me; I hadn't exactly endeared myself to her. But she did it anyway because, according to her personal code, it was the right thing to do. So I figured the least I could do was to return the favor by making sure nobody caused any trouble while she was so vulnerable."

"How touching," his sister sneered at him. "I think you have feelings for her and just wanted to keep her safe while she had another man's baby. Pathetic."

"My, my, Sister. You have grown desperate. Throwing out all of these false accusations. The 'pathetic' one is particularly rich coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

"Even if I did have feelings for Chu Qiao and wanted to protect her, that's nowhere near as pathetic as wanting to get revenge on a man because he wouldn't return your affections when he found out you were his worst enemy."

Her eyes widened and his normally unflappable sister actually let out a gasp. Xiao Ce couldn't remember the last time he'd enjoyed himself this much.

 _Probably when I was back in Chang'an with Qiao Qiao…_

"Oh, yes," Xiao Ce said gleefully. "I know all about that affair. I guess you could say that…a little bird told me."

His sister bared her teeth at him and strained against her restraints.

"Don't worry; I won't bore you with the details. Instead, I think I'll leave you to reflect on your past actions. Introspection can be good for the soul."

"You-"

"What? Do you really want to talk some more? Have you missed me that much? No matter; I have more...pleasant matters to attend to."

Xiao Ce deliberately turned his back on his sister and walked over to where the attractive young woman was sitting. She looked up at him and he was struck again at just how closely she resembled Qiao Qiao.

"Hello, miss. What's your relationship with my charming sister?"

"She imprisoned me in this cage for years," the woman said bitterly in a low-pitched voice that Xiao Ce found captivating. "Even when she found out the information she wanted, she still left me in here just to torment me."

"Well, that explains why you were throwing ice needles at her when I arrived. You'll have to show me how you do that trick later."

The woman smiled mysteriously.

"Much later," Xiao Ce said, smiling impishly. "We have plenty of time to talk about my sister and decide her fate."

"Not as much as you think," the woman said, carefully pulling a thin metal dart from a hidden pocket in her outfit. "Your associate told me that your sister was shot with this."

Xiao Ce took the dart carefully and sniffed it, his eyebrows raising for the second time that day as he recognized the scent of the same poison that Qiao Qiao had been exposed to years ago. What were the odds?

"Just who did you run into, Sister? This is not something you're likely to find around Green Hills—at least not these days."

As he said those last words, the likely answer came to his mind and he started laughing. His sister remained sullenly silent—or maybe the poison was really affecting her.

"So it seems like someone else thought that an old enemy might try to start trouble at Green Hills, too. Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao really do have the knack for making the strangest allies—and enemies, for that matter."

"Well, Sister, it just so happens that I knew the antidote to this poison once upon a time, but the recipe has slipped my mind somehow. It might take me at least a couple of days to remember it. Maybe some pleasant company will help to jog my memory."

He looked back at the woman reclining on the bed near the cage and noticed a slight twinkle in her eyes that made him think that she might be willing to play along with him for a last bit of revenge.

"What's your name, miss?"

"Xia Chong," she said, giving him a seductive smile.

He turned back to his sister and smiled lecherously, getting the expression of disgust he'd been looking for.

"Well, Sister, enjoy your rest. I shall return in a couple of days once I've remembered the antidote—if I remember it at all, of course. For now, Xia Xia and I are going to get better acquainted. I will leave first," Xiao Ce said, bowing mockingly towards his sister.

She roused herself enough to begin incoherently ranting at him; he thought he understood something about, "When Father finds out," but he couldn't be sure. Xiao Ce swaggered out of the room, his charming companion in tow with her hand on his arm.

They exited into darkness. Night had fallen over the course of his "visit" with his sister, and the night sky was bright and cloudless. Xia Chong dropped her hand from his arm and sharpened her gaze, becoming the cool professional he'd figured her to be. His head spy was waiting for him outside of his carriage.

"You've done very well," Xiao Ce said to his subordinate. "You and the others will be handsomely rewarded for your efforts."

"Thank you, Prince," the spy said, clasping her sword in her hands and bowing.

"The person who shot those darts...were you working with her?"

"I think so. I mean, we did ally ourselves with a woman bearing seals from both Green Hills Courtyard and Yanbei. However, we also saw a small figure hop the wall and run into the woods a few minutes before our ally threw your sister's body over the wall, so we can't be sure."

Xiao Ce was silent for a few moments as he sorted through the implications.

"I think we can both assume that the woman you were working with is the princess of Yanbei."

"We drew that conclusion as well; that's why we trusted her to the extent that we did."

"But the other woman—or small man-who may have shot my sister and who had access to the same kind of poison...maybe she—or he-was working for the princess of Yanbei."

"Or maybe they were allies with an old understanding."

"Or maybe this person just held a grudge against my sister. That's not an uncommon occurrence."

"As you say, Prince," his head spy said, smiling.

Xiao Ce inclined his head towards the carriage, and his lead spy got into the front and prepared herself to drive. He turned towards his companion and looked her in the eyes.

"What are your plans? Do you have anywhere to go? My offer's still open if you're inclined to take it."

"While I'm not interested in becoming your concubine, I can tell from the company you keep that you might be able to use a woman of my talents."

Xiao Ce's eyes lit up and he nodded his head in assent.

"Please ride with me back to my palace," the crown prince said, eyes glinting. "I'm sure we can come to an understanding."

Xia Chong stepped up into the carriage, and Xiao Ce took a moment to lean his head back to bask in the light of the moon and stars. He climbed into the carriage and smiled at the woman sitting across from him.

 _The heavens have been very kind to me, indeed_.


	21. Epilogue

AN: This is finally it, y'all. I'm equally amazed to be clicking that "complete" button at the end of 45,000+ words as I was when I found myself writing a 300-word "ending" scene and posting it on Soompi. For those wondering why the story seems a bit disjointed at the beginning, the reason is that this was never meant to be a story in the first place. It was just a loose collection of short stories set in an unrealistically happy canon continuation I've mentally dubbed "Green Hills Happyland" that I crafted for the sake of my sanity after that ending.

But now I'm ready to move onto a grittier story, so I'll be continuing "A Different Path" since there's been so much demand for me to do so. I will, however, take some time to actually craft a story line/plot arc that's more than a kludged-together monstrosity held together by duct tape and chewing gum. Writing something every day, reading it over a few times, and then posting it has been awesome, crazy, and therapeutic, but I want to take a bit more time to put a better product out there. Y'all have been amazing; thanks for your support and encouragement. Lostintranslation wanted a happy ending for the parrot, so I hope this satisfies. I hope you enjoy this ending and that you'll read "A Different Path" when I get it together.

* * *

Yuan Song stood just out of view of the garden area of Green Hills where he knew his old friend was training her adopted son in the art of scent detection. The emperor had invited a variety of Yanbei officials to Chang'an for the 2nd anniversary of the formal declaration of peace between Wei and Yanbei, and both Yuan Song and his wife had, naturally, been included in the invitation. Yuan Song had decided to come over to Green Hills earlier than expected because he'd wanted to revisit that part of his past without an audience—and because he wanted to give his wife some space.

He'd met Yue Qi at the gate, and the loyal guard had told him about A'Chu's whereabouts with a twinkle in his eye. Yuan Song could see A'Chu from where he was standing, and he smiled at the obvious peace and contentment that she was radiating even though her attitude towards her son as she explained his assignment was businesslike. She looked happy and healthy, so different from that wary, sober silver bell he'd met in another lifetime.

With a final bit of instruction, A'Chu sent her son on his way and almost immediately looked right at Yuan Song's hiding place. At first, Yuan Song assumed that this was just a coincidence, but as she continued to stare pointedly at him, he shook his head and slowly came into the garden area.

 _I'm not sure why I'm so surprised. Just because she's no longer who she was back then doesn't mean that she isn't at least as perceptive—and as dangerous._

A'Chu grinned mischievously at Yuan Song, who tilted his head in question. She gestured towards the boy with her head, so Yuan Song began to slowly stalk him through the flowers just like he'd done so long ago with A'Chu. The boy discovered Yuan Song's presence quickly and cocked his head, obviously trying to figure out what he was smelling.

The ruler of Yanbei started trying to evade the boy as A'Chu's son began to demonstrate the same prowess that his mother had shown all those years ago. The boy was persistent and eventually cornered Yuan Song in the pavilion. In desperation, Yuan Song scampered onto the same bridge on which A'Chu had caught him way back when and couldn't help but chuckle when her son caught him in almost the same place.

"I surrender!" Yuan Song cried out dramatically. "Please don't throw me in the water! I am at your mercy!"

"Why would I throw you in the water?" the boy asked. "I would never do that—unless you did something that made me think you deserved it, of course."

"I can see someone has learned his lesson well," A'Chu said impishly, walking up behind her son and taking off his blindfold.

"You did well, Mo'er. I'm going to enjoy telling this story to your father very much."

"But I failed the test. I didn't find the tulip."

"No, but you found and successfully tracked a smell that you knew didn't belong, which is at least as important. Sometimes you have to abandon a mission in order to do something that's more important, which is exactly what you did today. Well done, son. Very well done."

"Thanks, Mom," the boy said, smiling up at her.

"Let's go find your father," A'Chu said, looking pointedly at Yuan Song over her son's head.

"I have a feeling our guest came down here without your father's knowledge, so we should probably go say hello. Don't you agree?"

"I know better than to disagree with you this close to water," Yuan Song said, mock-bowing at A'Chu.

They set off at a leisurely pace towards the main area of the Courtyard, lapsing into a comfortable silence.

* * *

There were times when Meng Feng especially loved her husband, and this was one of them. He'd been fidgety all morning and had been able to see how much that had irritated her, so when he'd told her that he was going to head over to Green Hills Courtyard early to see what sort of trouble he could get into, she'd been glad to give him his space. Besides, he'd known that she'd likely need to rest given the circumstances, and this way, she hadn't had to make up an excuse to take an early afternoon nap.

 _There are times when I especially love my husband,_ Meng Feng mused from inside the carriage she was riding to Green Hills, _but throwing up in our carriage again this morning thanks to the presence of our child growing inside of me was not one of those times._

Yuan Song had been both ecstatic and concerned once they'd both figured out that the "illness" that she'd contracted midway through their journey to Chang'an was actually pregnancy instead. He'd even suggested that they go back to Yanbei rather than traveling on, but Meng Feng had firmly said that they were at least halfway there anyway and that there was no way that she was missing out on this opportunity to see her friends in an official capacity.

 _Besides,_ she thought as she looked at the special friend riding in a cage beside her, _I have one last debt I need to repay._

She and Zhong Yu had talked months ago. Both were, after all, still consummate professionals beneath their political veneers, and neither had had much use for sentiment. Meng Feng had thanked Zhong Yu for saving her life; Zhong Yu had thanked her for the poison; Meng Feng had told her what she knew of the princess's fate. Neither had felt the need to say more than that, and they had parted on good terms with one another.

Meng Feng knew that she, at least, would be expected to give a report to her former master about her involvement in the events of several months ago. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation, but she'd face it with the same calm determination with which she'd faced most other challenges in her life.

While she wasn't excited about that particular talk, she was looking forward to presenting her parrot friend with the female Cangwu bird she'd procured after expending considerable effort to find just the right one. She'd brought her all the way with her from Yanbei and was anticipating the reaction that her feathered friend would have to her gift.

Her nap had refreshed her, and now she found herself being escorted into Green Hills Courtyard in the late-afternoon sun. They'd all been invited to a late meal with the emperor at the palace, so Yuwen Yue and his wife had invited her, her husband, Zhong Yu, and Wu Daoya over to Green Hills for some afternoon refreshments and conversation.

Yuwen Yue, Chu Qiao, their adopted son, and her husband were there waiting for her. Yuan Song grinned mischievously when he saw the cage in her hand. Meng Feng wisely presented the cage to Chu Qiao, who predictably started cooing at the bird inside before turning those big, soulful eyes on her husband. Her former master seemed resigned to the situation; he turned his piercing eyes on her and said that they shouldn't be surprised given the circumstances.

Chu Qiao had elbowed her husband lightly in his ribs and told him that they had plenty of time to discuss serious matters later. Meng Feng readily agreed with her hostess and asked if she could present her present to their parrot. Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao both walked off towards their rooms and entered them, he returning with his bird and she returning with their baby son.

Zhong Yu and her husband had joined the party by this time, escorted to the proper location by a smiling Yue Qi. Everyone gathered around Chu Qiao and the baby, making all of the proper introductions and greetings. Meng Feng chose that moment to announce her own condition, getting a bigger hug than she'd expected from Chu Qiao and her own round of congratulations from everyone else.

Yuwen Yue brought his parrot over to the table where Meng Feng had placed the cage, which she proceeded to open. Cautiously, the female bird inside hopped out, looked around in bewilderment, and locked eyes with the parrot who had spotted her at the same time.

* * *

For the Cangwu parrot, today had started like any other day. Crying baby; wakeful parents; nursing baby; master's pretense of indifference; a few insults of Xing'er here and there. Nothing extraordinary. But then Yuwen Yue had come to fetch him and had brought him out into the Courtyard to see a number of strangers—except for one woman he easily recognized.

He'd wanted to fly off and say hello to Badass, but everyone had surrounded her and begun congratulating her because she was with child. The parrot figured he'd congratulate her later when there weren't so many people around; maybe she'd want to talk to him, even. But then Yuwen Yue had brought him over to a table, set him down, and stepped back. And then...he saw her the same time she saw him, and he was smitten.

"Yo!" Yue Qi exclaimed from his place near the master. "I think I've seen that expression somewhere before! Oh, I remember. That's the same face the master made the first time he saw Xing'er in those lantern festival robes he had made for her."

"Don't you have anything more important to do, Yue Qi?" his master asked in slight irritation.

Yue Qi pretended to think hard for a moment before answering.

"Well, I've eaten already; I've done my chores; I've trained with the men; I've escorted these important people here and figured out that leaving them now would be rude. So no, I don't have anything more important to do."

Everyone laughed, but he tuned out the rest of the foolish human prattle. He had eyes only for his woman—for surely that was who she was. The bird tentatively hopped towards his soon-to-be mate and nudged her gently with the side of his head.

"Don't be afraid," he cooed softly in their own language the humans couldn't understand. "I know it's strange here and you don't know anybody, but I'll keep you safe. There are good people here, and the master and his wife are the best. If you stay with me, I'll make sure you have good food, a nice place to sleep, and a safe place to raise...um, I mean, a safe place to live."

The female parrot ducked her head bashfully but softly nudged him back.

"I've spent all my life so far in various types of cages, so I don't really know what to do. Am I really free here, or is this just a larger cage?"

Yuwen Yue's bird was silent for a few moments as he thought of the past and all of the things that he'd seen pass between his master and his master's wife.

"If you want to leave here, I won't stop you. I won't let them stop you. If you want to fly away from here, you can. But the world is big and dangerous and mean, and freedom might not be what you think it will be. Here, you'll be safe and provided for and...loved."

"I don't even know how to be free," she cooed, her eyes large and sparkling in the sunlight. "Will you show me?"

Needing no further prompting, he took off, elated when he heard a twin flapping of wings behind him. He slowed down and let her catch up with him, captivated by the crackling energy he could sense in her as she experienced the joy of flying free for the first time. The bird dove for the ground and rose back up sharply, reveling in the way his female counterpart matched him move for move.

He began an intricate series of aerial acrobatics, allowing her to observe his technique. When he began to repeat his moves, she matched him swoop for swoop. The parrot lost track of all sense of time and space, unable to think of anything besides flying in tandem with the woman at his side.

For the first time in his life, he truly understood his master. In all honesty, he'd always agree with Yue Qi whenever the faithful guard had told his master that he needed to forget Xing'er and move on, to accept her absence in his life. And yet the parrot had only known this woman at his side for a few minutes—or had it been hours? Days? Years?-and he already couldn't imagine his future without her.

For the first time in his life, he understood the terror of offering a woman a home, and love, and all of himself while knowing that the pull of freedom might be too much for her to ignore. For the first time since the time when Xing'er had freed him, he seriously considered leaving Green Hills and his master behind if this woman chose to go. For the first time since he'd heard about what had happened at the icy lake, he understood how his master could've been willing to do anything to keep his woman alive.

She finally led him to a remote portion of the wall safe from the prying eyes of humans. He landed close enough to convey support but far enough away to give her the space to make her choice. They studied the lengthening shadows caused by the dipping sun in silence.

"The human who brought me here told me that you saved her life and that you were strong and brave. Could you teach me how to be strong and brave?" she said, deliberately turning her back on the world visible beyond the wall.

He turned around as well and looked into her big, round eyes, not caring that his heart was likely visible in his own.

"You already are," he said softly, sidling closer and nudging her gently.

Without another word, she hopped off the wall and began to lead them home.

* * *

Yuwen Yue had seen the look in his parrot's eyes and had realized that he might actually lose his bird today. While his life now was more full than he ever could've imagined it would be when he'd first received his parrot so many years ago, he knew that he would miss the bird more than he'd be able to say to anyone.

"Don't worry," his wife whispered to him too softly for anyone else to hear. "He'll come back."

"How do you know?" Yuwen Yue asked his wife lowly as the rest of their friends talked around them.

"He'll come back for you. He loves you."

"Life doesn't always work that way."

Xing'er was quiet for a few seconds, a sad, wistful expression on her face as she looked down at their son in her arms.

"I saw the look in her eyes when she looked at him; I know it well. She knows he wants to stay for you."

His wife lapsed into silence once again.

"So why do you think she'll want to stay?"

Xing'er looked up at him, her heart in her eyes.

"She'll want to stay for him—even if it takes her awhile to realize it."

They stared into each others' eyes, indifferent to the people around them.

"But I don't think it'll take her that long to decide," Xing'er said lightly, obviously trying to lighten the moment. "She's much smarter than I am."

"Fool! Fool! Fool!" his parrot agreed, landing softly on Yuwen Yue's right shoulder.

The female parrot landed on Xing'er's left shoulder and settled near Yuwen Yue's bird.

Yuwen Yue wound an arm around Xing'er's waist and gently pulled her closer to him, feeling a rush of contentment when neither his wife, his son, nor his birds objected in the slightest. His adopted son walked over and stood in front of him, obviously wanting to be a part of this family tableau. Yuwen Yue placed his free hand on the boy's shoulder and drew him closer.

The master of the Green Hills Courtyard looked up to see their friends smiling at them, obviously basking in the happiness all around them. A touch of Yuan Song's—or was it his wife's?—mischief must've gotten into Yuwen Yue, because the one-time cold, aloof spymaster didn't even try to fight the temptation to grin wholeheartedly back at them.


End file.
